A group comprised of intellectuals, architects and soldiers has decided unilaterally to build the Noyyan Tapan complex on the treeless and grassless hill peak in the vicinity of Haghtanak (victory) Park in front of Mount Ararat. Today Martun Harutyunyan, the president of the ARAME company said about this at a press conference that took place in Slak Club today.
His company will be the main investor in the construction of the ark. Toros Umrikyan, the director of Haghtanak Park, who was present at the meeting, said that according to rough calculations, the construction of the historical and cultural ark would cost $20 million and no government money would be spent on it. Besides ARAME, Urakh Zhamants LLC using Haghtanak Park will also participate in constructing Noyyan Tapan with its investments.
In Toros Umrikyan’s words, they didn’t think it was appropriate, if businessmen made investments, fearing that it would become a party place, “There will be no business in the project and the aim was to build a cultural center from the beginning.”
Karen Aghamyan, the resident of the Union of Artists, who was present at the press conference, made a comment that the purpose of constructing the ark was to have a base of consent in our country, where people from different countries, regardless of their religion, nationality and race, would visit, since the humankind originated here, “Certainly, it would be preferable, if it was build on Mount Ararat, but no such thing will happen within the upcoming 100 years.”
In response to a question whether business wasn’t the reason why Noyyan Tapan, which was intended to be built in the vicinity of the Khor Virap church that was nearer to Mount Ararat a few years ago, was moved to Yerevan, Mr. Umrikyan responded that considering the fact that that part of Artashat was a historical territory, where excavations continued until now, one couldn’t build anything there.
Let us mention that Noyyan Tapan is intended to be built in its actual size, as it is described in the Bible. The length will be 132 m, the width 22 m and the height 13 m. The supporting structures of the construction are of reinforced concrete, the revetment is wooden. It will be a three-storey construction – the first floor will be used as a museum, where the copies of the members of Noah’s family and fauna, as well as ancient articles and scientific data will be exhibited. On the second floor, a cinema, a conference hall and classes for children’s groups are intended to be built. The last floor will be used as a hotel for tourists. Besides, some space will be used for placing flags and coats of arms of different nations.
According to the preliminary data, it will have been built by the year 2015, i.e. before the 97th commemoration of the Genocide.
Lusine BUDAGHYAN
