{"id":37812,"date":"2015-04-26T16:42:15","date_gmt":"2015-04-26T13:42:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sana.sy\/en\/?p=37812"},"modified":"2015-04-28T11:55:03","modified_gmt":"2015-04-28T08:55:03","slug":"cornerstone-of-armenian-victims-memorial-laid-in-old-damascus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.sana.sy\/en\/?p=37812","title":{"rendered":"Cornerstone of Armenian Victims Memorial laid in\u00a0Old Damascus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Damascus, SANA – Under the patronage of President\u00a0Bashar al-Assad, the cornerstone of a memorial of the victims of the Armenian Genocide\u00a0was laid Sunday in the Old City of Damascus.<\/p>\n

The memorial, which commemorates the Centennial of\u00a0the genocide of April 24, 1915, will be built in the square next to the Armenian Orthodox\u00a0Archbishopric near Bab Sharqi Arch in Old Damascus.<\/p>\n

Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All East Mar Ignatius Aphram II Karim, Primate of the Armenian Church of Damascus Bishop Armash Nalbandian and a number of heads of Christian denominations in Damascus took part in the cornerstone laying ceremony that witnessed a wide popular participation.<\/p>\n

\"cornerstone-Armenian<\/a><\/p>\n

Islamic scholars, a number of MPs, Minister of State for Environment Affairs Nazira Sarkis and Governor of Damascus Bishr al-Sabban were also present.<\/p>\n

Before the ceremony, a mass was held at St. Sarkis Armenian Orthodox Church in Damascus on the occasion led by Primate Nalbandian.<\/p>\n

An array of activities has been held around Syria to mark the genocide, in which the Ottoman Turks killed a million and a half Armenians and left million others displaced.<\/p>\n