Photographs: The Grave of Islamic Sharif Khan Depicted on the New 5000 Dram Note

Archaeologist Samvel Karapetyan made a post on his Facebook page, noting that what is depicted on the reverse side of the new 5000 dram note is not an Armenian church, but an Islamic grave.

In his post, he states:

“The new notes of the Republic of Armenia are already in circulation. Today, I came across the 5000 dram note for the first time. I look at the front side, and it features a portrait of William Saroyan. Very nice. I turn the note over, where the silhouette of the city of Baghesh is presented. Only one structure is showcased prominently in the left corner - one of the city’s many Islamic worship structures: the grave of Sharif Khan, built in 1533, part of the Sharifiye memorial complex.

Surprised, I am overwhelmed with a feeling of anger. I understand that the artist wanted to complete the image with a scene of a symbolic structure from Baghesh (a structure that in many cases, including mine, is definitely from Bitlis), and it seems that the designer intended to insert a symbolic image emphasizing the Armenian essence of the city, which, of course, should have been a monastery or a church present in today’s mindset, and has stopped at this perhaps untrained eye’s church-like dome construction, perhaps thinking that if it's domed, then it must be an Armenian church... Finally, if it was necessary to definitely place an image of a church or monastery to emphasize the city's Armenian-ness, one could have chosen the images of the Amirdolu or Gomots monasteries in Baghesh, which no longer exist but are known through archival photographs…

I lament my compatriots that due to our ignorance and also careless negligence, we are advertising the grave of an Islamic khan with our new-style 5000 dram notes…

After all, they say, when you don’t know, asking is not a shame…

I attach an image of the 5000 dram note advertising the Muslim grave built over the Sharif Khan’s grave, the same grave's image, as well as the images of the currently destroyed Amirdolu and Gomots monasteries that fell within the city’s outline, any of which could have been depicted instead of the mentioned grave, had there been adequate knowledge and attitude…

I haven’t seen the other new notes yet, but to be honest, I am already afraid to see them…”