The Istanbul-based Hrant Dink Foundation, which was established in the wake of the murder of Istanbul-Armenian journalist and former editor-in-chief of Agos Weekly Hrant Dink, undertook a project called “The Cultural Heritage of Anatolia”. Throughout implementation of the project, the Foundation’s representatives identified and estimated the number and current state of the historic and cultural structures that representatives of national minorities have left in the whole territory of Turkey, writes Agos Weekly, according to tert.am.

According to the Foundation’s list, out of the 10,000 historic and cultural monuments in Turkey, 4,600 are Armenian, 4,100 are Greek, 650 are Assyrian and 300 are Jewish.

The project’s coordinator Merve Kurt and researchers Touna Bashebek, Zeynep Oghuz, Alexandros Kamburis and Vahagn Keshishian have examined the Ottoman state archives for two years and have also left for Greece and Switzerland to become familiar with foreign archives.

According to Merve Kurt, the names of almost all these historic monuments are Turkified. Kurt added that a large part of these historic monuments are unattended and seriously need to be under protection.

Based on the study, the most historically Armenian structures are in Mush (401 historic structures), followed by Bitlis (325 structures), Kharberd (323 structures), Sebastia, Yerznka, Erzerum, Kesaria and Dersim, and the last of the top ten is Van with 185 structures.

Within the scope of the project, the Foundation has published a special map that shows the places where the Armenian, Assyrian, Greek and Jewish  historic monuments, as well as churches, monasteries, cemeteries and even buildings of old Armenian schools and orphanages.

The representatives of the Foundation have announced that their new archive is open for everyone.