THE HEADS OF SMYRNA’S TERUNI DIOCESE
The restoration of the Official List of the heads of the diocese of Smyrna is closely related to the history of Ejmiatsin teruni (belonging to Ejmiatsin) diocese as a religious institution which had a historical significance of preserving Armenian national values. The study of the Official List of the heads of the diocese of Smyrna takes its beginning in the researches of eminent scholars A. Alpoyachyan and Bishop T. Palyan . We launch the List of the heads of the diocese of Smyrna with a quite different from each other order and dating, discussing them separately. First, we have to note that the said List of Trdat Palyan begins with the name of Vardapet (Archimandrite) Hovsep, starting from the year 1689; and A. Alpoyachyan does it with the head, mentioned long before that.
Due to the nationwide authority of Smyrna’s Patriarchal Diocese, five of its heads were elected All Armenian Catholicoses in the period of 1737-1801, Ghazar Jahketsi (1737), Alexander Byuzandatsi (of Byzantium) Garagash (1753), Sahak Ahagin (Huge) (1756, he resigned of patriarchdom), Ghukas Karnetsi (of Karin) (1780) and Danyel Surmaretsi (of Surmary) (1801).
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