sentimental value to the Armenian Nation. These trees were planted in the early years of the Melkonian Institute by the orphan students in memory of their loved ones and of the millions that perished during the Genocide. Nowhere else in the world, not even in Armenia, the Armenian Genocide is memorialised in this manner. Cyprus government has officially listed this forest. Recent history In the summer of 1974 as a result of Turkish invasion of Cyprus numerous bombs were dropped on Melkonian grounds and buildings causing damage. In 1986 a quarter of the Melkonian Estate was sold off at, what many regard as a ridiculously low prices (the legality of this act is also questioned). The aim was to reinvest the money in a new Boarding House, a closed sports complex and a commercial centre. All these projects went ahead. At the time, the 6-storey Melkonian Commercial Centre (MCC) was built on Melkonian territory so as to generate income for the school in order to make it financially less dependent from the AGBU. By 1989, the rent started to trickle in and eventually the CYP 1.75 million loan was paid off. In recent years the MCC was generating enough money to support the school. According to 2003 figures MCC generates over $650,000 annually as it collects rent from Cyprus Tourism Organisation (offices), the Army Officers’ Cooperative, the firm of Philipou & Guevherian, a tutoring centre, a restaurant (Crescendo) and a row of shops (Elements of Style, Constantinou Communications, Duxiana, a toy store, an advertising agency, an Internet café, etc.), all of them tenants at the Melkonian Commercial Centre. The AGBU has been heavily criticized for the fact that the income from the MCC rent has never reached Melkonian School and has been going directly to the AGBU. Closure The first rumors about the closure of Melkonian Educational Institute started circulating in the Summer of 2003. On November 17, 2003 an alumnus led and well-coordinated campaign to resist the rumored closure was established. After months of paid advertisements and heavily funded PR campaigns by the AGBU informing the public that they do not intend to close down and sell the Melkonian, on March 14, 2004 AGBU CB voted unanimously in favor of the closure. The official decision was published 2 days afterwards on March 16, 2004. The school was closed in June 2005. Lawsuit In an effort to stop the closure