ISTANBUL, JUNE 1, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. A monument dated of June 1, 1884 was found during the excavations implemented near the church of the Akhatamar Island in Lake Van. Mete Tozkoparan, the Director of the Van museum informed that excavations were started from the church garden, near the monks' house, and numerous rooms coming next to each other were found out in this territory. "A marble stone-monument was found during the last excavations in a territory consisting of six rooms, and the monument shows that a college established to prepare clergymen existed in that territory. It is written on the stone that the college was opened on June 1, 1884 by Khachatur Rshtuntsi, one of Catholicoses of that period of time," Tozkaparan stated. The Director of the Van museum considers notable the fact that the monument, besides giving information about details of building of the college, contains "expressions of gratitude" addressed to sultan of that period of time Abdul Hamid II for his permission, assistance and support in the issue of building the college. "It is clear from the monument that the monks' college was built during the period of Abdul Hamid II, Tozkoparan mentioned and informed that they defined that a monks' college was really built in that territory in the same year. The Istanbul "Marmara" daily draws attention to the fact that in spite of the information of the monument with text in the Armenian language and one about the Armenian Catholicos, the issue that this church of Aghtamar is Armenian, and the text on the stone is in Armenian was not touched upon at all.

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