The restoration of the Surp Sarkis Armenian Church in Diyarbakır started with prayers. The prayer was led by Turkish Armenian Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan. Patriarch Maşalyan also gave messages about the history of Armenians in the region.
Surp Sarkis Armenian Church, which is located in the Ali Paşa neighborhood of Diyarbakır's Sur district and has a history of 508 years, will be restored. The Turkish Ministry of Culture donated 5 million TL for the restoration. $2 million is needed to complete the restoration.
Surp Sarkis Church has been in ruins after 1915. Although the church, which is one of the important registered works of the city, fell into ruin, it is one of the rare buildings that managed to survive with its historical columns. Repair and restoration work of the church has begun.
Before the restoration, a prayer was held with the participation of Turkish Armenian Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan. In addition to Maşalyan, members of the city's Armenian community, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Doğan Hatun and Sur Municipality Co-Mayor Gulan Fatma Önkol also attended the prayer. Calling for help for the restoration of Surp Sarkis Church, Maşalyan stated that the church is among the important works of the city and asked for its ownership.
Maşalyan said in his statement that they took the first step towards a new beginning. Stating that the Surp Sarkis Church was abandoned to its fate in the last century, Maşalyan said: “Christians have had .
