Armenian monuments, churches, and monasteries in modern Turkey often were destroyed by gold-seekers who thought that Armenians hid their gold and treasures in those Armenian buildings. Stone by stone were taken down in search for Armenian treasures like the robbers of the treasures in the tombs of Pharaohs in Egypt. Here is a story that demonstrates the length that Turks and Kurds went in their futile searches causing great destruction and annihilation of the monuments...during the 1915 Genocide the Turkish soldiers searched with sticks even the droppings/excrements of the miserable Armenian deportees in the wilderness thinking that they have swallowed gold coins to keep it from being taken by the Turk soldiers.
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Turks dug 43-meter tunnel to find Armenian treasure
October 08, 2010
Four Turks tried to find "Armenian treasure", digging a tunnel of 43 meters in the Maras province of Turkey that used to be Armenian-populated before 1915.
Three treasure hunters thought they had found a place of historic church under Karaelbistan cemetery in Maras and started digging a tunnel to the church from the house of their friend, Milliyet reported.
Turks dug a 43-meter tunnel within 3 months, reached the door with a cross but failed to open it as they were scared to find a trap or toxic gas inside.
As a result of an argument between the diggers, owner of the house called gendarmerie. All participants of a "secret operation" were taken to police and released after giving testimony.
News from Armenia - NEWS.am
http://recordarmenews.blogspot.com/2010/10/turks-dug-43-meter-tunnel-to-find.html