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Ghevont Alishan () (1820-1901; also spelled Ghevond Alishan, or Leonzio Alishan in Italian or Léonce Alichan in French) was an ordained
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
,
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
and a
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
. He was awarded by the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
of the
French Academy
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
(1866), an honorary member of the
Asian Society of Italia, ,
Venice Academy and
Archeological Society of Saint-Petersburg.
John Ruskin
John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and politi ...
wrote that he "always looked upon him Padre Alishan as a sort of saint; he has been our friend for a great many of years."
He was a member of the
Mekhitarist Congregation on
Saint Lazarus Island
San Lazzaro degli Armeni (, "Saint Lazarus of the Armenians"; called Saint Lazarus Island in English sources; hy, Սուրբ Ղազար, Surb Ghazar) is a small island in the Venetian Lagoon which has been home to the monastery of the Mekhitar ...
in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
beginning in 1838. He was the director of the in 1859-1861.
In 1885 he created the first modern
Armenian flag
, Image = Flag of Armenia.svg
, Use = 111000
, Symbol =
, Proportion = 1:2
, Adoption = 28 May 1918 (re-adopted on 24 August 1990)
, Design = A horizontal tricolour of red, blue, and apricot
, Designer ...
. His first design was a horizontal tricolor, but with a set of colors different from those used on the Armenian flag of today. The top band would be red to symbolize the first Sunday of Easter (called "Red" Sunday), the green to represent the "Green" Sunday of Easter, and finally an arbitrary color, white, was chosen to complete the combination. While in France, Alishan also designed a second flag inspired by the national
Flag of France
The national flag of France (french: link=no, drapeau français) is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. It is known to English speakers as the ''Tricolour'' (), although the flag of Irelan ...
. Its colors were red, green, and blue respectively, representing the band of colors that
Noah
Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
saw after landing on
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat or , ''Ararat''; or is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in the extreme east of Turkey. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest peak in Turkey and th ...
.
A bust of Alishan, created in 1903 by the sculptor , is displayed in the
National Gallery of Armenia
The National Gallery of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի ազգային պատկերասրահ, ''Hayastani azgayin patkerasrah'') is the largest art museum in Armenia. Located on Yerevan's Republic Square, the museum has one of the most prominent ...
.
[Museum label]
Gallery
File:Alishan in his last days 1901.png, Father Ghevont Alishan in his last days.
File:National Gallery of Armenia - 2018-05-15 - Andy Mabbett - 01.jpg, Bust by .
Publications
* Armenian popular Songs: translated into English by the R. Leo M. Alishan DD. of the Mechitaristic Society, Venice, S. Lazarus, 1852.
* Etude de la patrie: physiographie de l'Arménie: discours prononcé le 12 août 1861 à la distribution annuelle des prix au collège arménien Samuel Moorat, Venise, S. Lazar, 1861.
* «Յուշիկք հայրենեաց հայոց» (Memories of the Armenian Homeland) 1869.
* «Շնորհալի եւ պարագայ իւր» ('Shnorhali ew paragay iwr', Armenian History). 1873, Venice.
* «Շիրակ» (Shirak) 1881.
* Deux descriptions arméniennes des lieux Saints de Palestine, Gènes, 1883.
* «Սիսուան» (Sisouan) 1885.
* «Այրարատ» (Ayrarat) 1890.
* «Սիսական» (Sisakan) 1893.
* «Հայապատում» ('Hayapatum', Armenian History). 1901, Venice.
See also
*
Leonardo Alishan
Leonardo Paul Alishan (1951–2005) was an Armenian-Iranian writer, scholar, and translator. He was a professor of Persian and Comparative Literature at the University of Utah from 1978-1997. His published works include three collections of poetry, ...
References
Armenology Research National Center: THE ARMENIAN BOOK 1512-1920* Jennifer Manoukian, "Ghevont Alishan," Encyclopedia of Romantic Nationalism in Europe: https://ernie.uva.nl/viewer.p/21/56/object/131-515195
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Alishan, Ghevont
1820 births
1901 deaths
Writers from Istanbul
Mekhitarists
Armenian Catholic priests
Christian clergy from the Ottoman Empire
Armenian male poets
Male poets from the Ottoman Empire
Armenian studies scholars
Armenian educators
Educators from the Ottoman Empire
Armenian lexicographers
Lexicographers from the Ottoman Empire
Armenian geographers
Geographers from the Ottoman Empire
Flag designers
Mount Ararat
Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur
Members of the Société Asiatique
Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia faculty
San Lazzaro degli Armeni alumni
Armenians from the Ottoman Empire
Armenians in Istanbul
Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire to Austria-Hungary
Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire to Italy
19th-century Armenian poets
19th-century Armenian historians
19th-century lexicographers
19th-century male writers
Eastern Catholic poets