Balian's wonderful and engaging novel could not be timelier, when the resurgence of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh is yet again a reminder of the horrors of ethnic nationalism wreaking havoc in the region. For millennia, Armenians have been integral to the vast spectrum of territories extended from the Mughal to Russian, Safavid and Ottoman empires. ALSO READ: Hath not a Palestinian eyes? The presence of these Armenian communities - proud, robust, self-conscious, industrious, cultured and worldly - reflected in many other parts of the world, is the most potent metaphoric reminder of the cosmopolitan character of our cultures.
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