Tweet
RECONSTRUCTION WORKS OF SURB KHACH CHURCH OF AKHTAMAR ISLAND COME TO END
YEREVAN, JULY 18, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. On July 17, Armenian
Patriarch Mesrop Archbishop Mutafian of Constantinople left for Van
for the purpose of getting acquainted with the reconstruction works
of the Surb Khach ("Saint Cross") church of the Akhtamar island.
As the Radio Liberty informs citing the information of the Turkish
Daily News, the reconstruction of this building, one of the most
ancient ones in the Van province, will finish at the end of this
month and the church will be opened for the believers and visitors
in September.
"The works come to an end," mentioned Cahit Zeydanli, owner of the
Turkish private company implementing the reconstruction. He mentioned
that "the church of Akhtamar is a unique building which is famous
not only in Turkey but also in the whole world".
Last September, "after century-long indifference and decades-long
political controversies," Turkey decided to cede to the calls of the
EU to keep its promise to defend the rights of ethnic minorities. And
in May the Government of Turkey allocated 2 million liras (nearly
1.5 million dollars) to the reconstruction works of the Surb Khach
church of Akhtamar.
YEREVAN, JULY 18, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. On July 17, Armenian
Patriarch Mesrop Archbishop Mutafian of Constantinople left for Van
for the purpose of getting acquainted with the reconstruction works
of the Surb Khach ("Saint Cross") church of the Akhtamar island.
As the Radio Liberty informs citing the information of the Turkish
Daily News, the reconstruction of this building, one of the most
ancient ones in the Van province, will finish at the end of this
month and the church will be opened for the believers and visitors
in September.
"The works come to an end," mentioned Cahit Zeydanli, owner of the
Turkish private company implementing the reconstruction. He mentioned
that "the church of Akhtamar is a unique building which is famous
not only in Turkey but also in the whole world".
Last September, "after century-long indifference and decades-long
political controversies," Turkey decided to cede to the calls of the
EU to keep its promise to defend the rights of ethnic minorities. And
in May the Government of Turkey allocated 2 million liras (nearly
1.5 million dollars) to the reconstruction works of the Surb Khach
church of Akhtamar.