Coming to Mosques, Yerevan also had several dozen churches (now has a handful). Many places of worship were destroyed during the Soviet times (including some Armenian churches in Georgia). So, Onnik, you can’t say “Armenians” have only left two mosques in Yerevan. But I think what needs to be done is a research that documents the history of mosques in Yerevan. I’d like to see something like that.

To answer Lisa’s general question, Armenians have had a long presence in Georgia, and along with Russians consisted majority in Tbilisi in the 19th century. So Georgians were a minority in Tbilisi at that time, and Armenians were a minority in Yerevan the same time, and Azeris were a minority in Baku at the same time. Nationalism changed it all.

As the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church told ArmeniaNow, in late April Holy Echmiadzin indeed asked the Georgian Orthodox Church to transfer under its jurisdiction six idling Armenian churches in the territory of Georgia. The matter concerned five churches situated in Tbilisi (Norashen, Mugnetsots Surb Gevorg, Surb Minas, Karmir Avetaranots, Surb Nshan) and the church of Surb Nshan situated within the limits of the town of Akhaltsikh. This initiative of the Armenian side aroused indignation of the Georgian Orthodox Church as a result of which the latter demanded a transfer under its protection six orthodox chapels in Armenia.

“The Armenian Apostolic Church had no other option, as we become witnesses of a policy of mass Georgianization of Armenian churches in the territory of Georgia and there is a necessity simply to save the cultural heritage of the Armenian people,” representative of the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Fr. Narek Ghushyan said in an ArmeniaNow interview. “Unlike many countries, including Armenia, Georgia has no law on religious freedoms and therefore the Georgian Synod considers the activities of, in particular, the Armenian Apostolic Church in its territory not quite competent. We do not mind providing the Georgian side with orthodox churches situated in the territory of Armenia, however we are not content with the aggressive nature of the Georgian Orthodox Church’s policy.”

Presumably, this problem will be discussed during the visit of Patriarch-Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II to Georgia planned for the near future. As an assistant to the bishop of the Georgian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church said in an interview with “Rezonansi”, the issue of the status of Georgian churches in the territory of Armenia has not been discussed yet. But Holy Echmiadzin provided a small Georgian community one of the churches in Yerevan for performing liturgies according to an orthodox rite.

http://armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&AID=1616&CID=1731&IID=&lng=eng

http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2005/12/18/living-in-a-mosque/

As it stands, there’s only one mosque standing (and working), and that’s Iranian. Otherwise, I’ve wondered about whether there were Georgian churches in Armenia, but haven’t been able to find anything on the Internet. Otherwise, I would personally agree that the blogger action was part of an agenda against Georgia.

However, the actual desecration of the church in Tbilisi is wrong. Unfortunately, nationalism breeds nationalism.

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-152958