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HISTORICAL ARMENIAN CHURCH OPENS FOR SERVICE
Hurriyet Daily News
Oct 20 2011
Turkey
Armenian Surp Giragos Church in the southeastern province of
Diyarbakır. DAILY NEWS photo
The historical Armenian Surp Giragos Church in the southeastern
province of Diyarbakır will open its doors for a Divine Liturgy on
Sunday Oct. 23 for the first time in decades following the completion
of two years of restorations.
The church will be blessed toward evening on Oct. 22 in accordance
with the traditions of the Apostolic Armenian Church; the Divine
Liturgy is set to take place the day after.
The restoration of the church was funded by donations from Armenians
in Istanbul and abroad through an initiative spearheaded by Vartkes
Ergun Ayık, a businessman of Armenian origin whose roots lie in
Diyarbakır, and Raffi Bedrosyan, an ex-resident of Istanbul who now
lives in Canada.
The Sur District Governor's Office in Diyarbakır lent its support to
the project as well, while the Bakırköy District Governor's Office
in Istanbul allocated two buses free of charge for Bakırköy residents
who would like to attend the event, as it did during the opening of the
Surp Krikor Lusavorich Church (Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator)
in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri a few years ago.
Some 1,500 people from Istanbul, Armenia and the United States,
as well as from countries across Europe and the Middle East, are
expected to attend the historic mass.
No vacancies are reported to be left in hotels across Diyarbakır,
as rooms were reserved months in advance. The people of Diyarbakır
are therefore readying to host visitors in their own homes, as they
did two years ago when the historical Surp Hac Church (Church of
the Holy Cross) on Akdamar Island in the eastern province of Van was
opened for mass.
Regarded by art historians as the biggest church in the Middle
East, the Surp Giragos Church covers 3,200 square meters and has a
capacity of 3,000 people. Used as a command center for German officers
during World War I, the church was then used as an apparel depot by
state-owned Sumerbank until 1950.
Hurriyet Daily News
Oct 20 2011
Turkey
Armenian Surp Giragos Church in the southeastern province of
Diyarbakır. DAILY NEWS photo
The historical Armenian Surp Giragos Church in the southeastern
province of Diyarbakır will open its doors for a Divine Liturgy on
Sunday Oct. 23 for the first time in decades following the completion
of two years of restorations.
The church will be blessed toward evening on Oct. 22 in accordance
with the traditions of the Apostolic Armenian Church; the Divine
Liturgy is set to take place the day after.
The restoration of the church was funded by donations from Armenians
in Istanbul and abroad through an initiative spearheaded by Vartkes
Ergun Ayık, a businessman of Armenian origin whose roots lie in
Diyarbakır, and Raffi Bedrosyan, an ex-resident of Istanbul who now
lives in Canada.
The Sur District Governor's Office in Diyarbakır lent its support to
the project as well, while the Bakırköy District Governor's Office
in Istanbul allocated two buses free of charge for Bakırköy residents
who would like to attend the event, as it did during the opening of the
Surp Krikor Lusavorich Church (Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator)
in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri a few years ago.
Some 1,500 people from Istanbul, Armenia and the United States,
as well as from countries across Europe and the Middle East, are
expected to attend the historic mass.
No vacancies are reported to be left in hotels across Diyarbakır,
as rooms were reserved months in advance. The people of Diyarbakır
are therefore readying to host visitors in their own homes, as they
did two years ago when the historical Surp Hac Church (Church of
the Holy Cross) on Akdamar Island in the eastern province of Van was
opened for mass.
Regarded by art historians as the biggest church in the Middle
East, the Surp Giragos Church covers 3,200 square meters and has a
capacity of 3,000 people. Used as a command center for German officers
during World War I, the church was then used as an apparel depot by
state-owned Sumerbank until 1950.