According to the last year government decision in the area of Khor Virap about 6 hectare area was given to “Hin Erivan” holding for the construction of “Noyan Tapan” museum complex.
The archaeology and demographic institute is trying to prevent this destructive decision of the government and the final decision of the executive is not known yet. “The problem is that the previous capital city of Armenia is located in this area and every single excavation may open the walls of the town. This area has a status of a special preservation area and the law on maintenance of land prohibits such activities. The owner of the land is planning to launch a broad-scale construction in this area and have allotted large amount of money for excavation. We have refused them because in this case we are dealing with the town. They have even promised to allot one floor of the museum to us once it is constructed. The idea of building a museum is a good idea but not in that area,” said the director of the mentioned institute Pavel Avetisyan. The government made the following decision based on the materials provided by the RA Ministry of Territorial Management and it is strange that the Ministry of Culture having been aware of this hasn’t warned about the consequences. “We are going to complain and demand that the government resumes its decision. We don’t have anything else but our cultural past to give to the world. And is this how we are preserving our past?” says Pavel Avetisyan. Later we have found out from an archaeologist of the institute, Loren Khachatryan that the RA Prosecutor’s Office has also stated that this transaction has been made with serious violations of the law. “Therefore, this decision is illegal,” Khachatryan said. The director of the institute has also condemned the state for ignoring the status of “Basalt Rocks” of Garni, which are being destroyed at present. Let’s remember that the statesmen and the director of the National Gallery of Armenia Paravon Mirzoyan are building houses and workshops for themselves by using these extinct rocks.