Restoration work has begun on the approximately 500-year-old Surp Sarkis Armenian Church in the central Sur district of Diyarbakır, southeastern Türkiye.
In the Alipaşa neighborhood, where the church, owned by the Surp Giragos Armenian Church Foundation, had been gradually deteriorating due to the lack of a congregation and sustained damage during the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on Feb. 6, 2023, a program was organized to mark the start of restoration efforts.
During the program, Sahak Maşalyan, the Patriarch of Türkiye's Armenians, inspected the historic church and offered prayers.
Cemil Koç, director of Surveying and Monuments in Diyarbakır, stated that the church had been used for various purposes by different institutions over the years.
Koç mentioned that the first steps toward revitalizing and restoring the church had been taken in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Governorship. He highlighted that their restoration project, initiated in 2011 and approved in 2022, had taken its first significant step today with a grant of TL 5 million ($151,065) from the ministry.
Koç emphasized their commitment to reintegrating the church into Diyarbakır's culture and tourism, pledging ongoing support from their department throughout all stages of the project.
Maşalyan noted that the church has been part of the area for over 500 years and had become derelict due to abandonment. "It was heartbreaking for us to see the church in this state. It was not something to be proud of for the people of Diyarbakır. In ancient times, the quality and greatness of a civilization were measured by the beauty of their temples or tombs. Therefore, every nation has tried to build the greatest temples according to their faith, starting from the pyramids. Just as our Surp Giragos Church stands tall as the largest Armenian church in the Middle East, this church has no less significance."
Maşalyan noted that every time they visit Diyarbakır, they see concern and effort from officials toward reviving and revitalizing the church, mentioning that these efforts have been ongoing for a long time. "After necessary planning by the Governorship, we were able to start this project with the allocation from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. We would like to express our gratitude to our Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and ministry staff. The hardest part of any task is starting it. We are initiating this task and request the support of local administrations for the completion of the structure. We will also do our best," Maşalyan said.
"Hopefully, when we gather again in a few years, we will see a different picture. This will be a crowning achievement for our country and Diyarbakır, with the resurrection of a monument. Today is a historic day in this sense."
Ergün Ayık, president of the Surp Giragos Armenian Church Foundation, explained that they have developed projects with the support of the Governorship to restore the church and took the first step toward restoration today, "After taking this first step, we will hopefully finalize this place with the financial support we will gather from local administrations, our Governorship, ministries and subsequently from domestic and international communities and benefactors."
Ayık also mentioned that after restoration, the church area will include eight guesthouses, a conference hall, a priest's house and three workshops.
