Restoration work begins on a 500-year-old Armenian church in southeastern Turkey. Surp Sarkis was damaged in the earthquake on February 6, 2023.

A major renovation work will be carried out in the 500-year-old Surp Sarkis Armenian Church in Diyarbakır soon.

The church, one of the historical Armenian churches of Diyarbakır, is located in the Sur district and is owned by the Surp Giragos Armenian Church Foundation.

It fell into disrepair due to the distress and damage suffered by the community in the double earthquake on February 6, 2023.

The renovation project, approved and financed by Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, aims to revitalize the church and will officially start next week.

Develop tourism

Cemil Koç, Head of the Surveying and Monuments Department of the Ministry of Culture, said in his statement to Anadolu that the church is classified as a first-class monumental structure.

Koç added that this church is the second largest Armenian church in Diyarbakır after Surp Giragos Armenian Church.

“The building consists of five naves parallel to the apse, with wide arches, wooden beams and earthen coverings. "The women's gathering place, known as the last congregation place, was damaged in its columns and arches due to recent earthquakes and human factors."

Koç said, "With our renovation work, it is aimed to revitalize the church and contribute to the tourism of our region and country." said.

He added that the renovation project started in 2021, and the comprehensive works, renovation, structural, mechanical and electrical plans were approved by the preservation board in 2022.

However, after the earthquake, it was determined that there was serious damage to the church, Koç said:

"In return, the ministry provided a grant of 5 million Turkish lira ($154 thousand) for this year. This will start the renovation process. The subsequent renovation will be supported by the resources of the Armenian community and additional contributions. This constitutes the first phase. The first step towards the restoration and revitalization of the church," he said. . Additional.

Patriarch of Turkish Armenians will visit here

Koç said that the renovation works will begin next week after the visit of the Turkish-Armenian patriarch.

"On June 27, Patriarch of Turkish Armenians Sahak Maşalyan will visit Diyarbakır. During the visit, they will also ask for financial support from the community," he said.

Surp Giragos Armenian Church Foundation President Ergun Ayık described the church as an important architectural symbol of the city.

In his statement to Anadolu, Ayık said that renovation projects were previously prepared with the support of Diyarbakır Governorship, and that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism allocated resources after the damage caused by the earthquake.

"The contribution of the Ministry in taking the first step is very important. We believe that when the renovation begins, significant contributions will come from both the local and international Armenian communities. There are also 8 guesthouses, a conference hall, a priest's house and three workshops in the church's facilities." said Ayık.

He added that the restored church will also serve the tourism sector of Diyarbakır.