Armenian church to be reopened in Kayseri, Turkey

[Alexandros]

‘House of God’ welcomes all who want to pray

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A. OĞUZ GÜNDÜZ

KAYSERİ – Radikal

The 2,000-year-old Surp Krikor Lusavoric Church in Kayseri, historically known as the birthplace of the Gregorian order of the Armenians, has been renovated in just one year through donations from 20 Kayseri-origin Armenians.

The renovation work was completed by the same team that did the Topkapı Palace in Istanbul. The church will open for prayers after a ceremony this Sunday. Zadik Toker, head of the Surp Krikor Lusavoric Church Foundation, said the church is “the home of God” and open to followers of all religions who want to pray. The ceremony at the church in the Caferbey neighborhood of the Melikgazi district will consist of the blessing ceremony (the opening) and the first badarak (Sunday ceremony). Gov. Mevlüt Bilici, Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Özhaseki and Police Chief Arif Akkale have been invited to the opening.

Toker said the church’s roof was leaking before the renovation and that the last maintenance work for the building was done back in 1990. He said the paintings on the walls have been renewed, too. “We are treading very carefully on the matter of the Armenian initiative. We are Turkish citizens. This place is a house of God and people from any religion may pray here anytime they want to,” said Toker.

Garabet İstepamyan, the watchman of the church for eight years, said the church would be cleaned during the week in preparation for the ceremony.

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[AlphaPapa]

Re: Armenian church to be reopened in Kayseri, Turkey

Just in time! The last Armenian from that whole state left about 40 years ago!

[KanadaHye]

Re: Armenian church to be reopened in Kayseri, Turkey

Just in time! The last Armenian from that whole state left about 40 years ago!

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Armenian church to be reopened in Kayseri, Turkey

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Toker said the church’s roof was leaking before the renovation and that the last maintenance work for the building was done back in 1990. He said the paintings on the walls have been renewed, too. “We are treading very carefully on the matter of the Armenian initiative. We are Turkish citizens. This place is a house of God and people from any religion may pray here anytime they want to,” said Toker.
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Maybe it is not surprising they lie about the last maintenance work dating from 1990. The last maintenance work was actually in the late 1990s, when they ripped out all the original 19th-century paintings from the three altars and replaced them with garishly-painted new ones.

I wonder what damage hides behind "the paintings on the walls have been renewed"?

[AlphaPapa]

Re: Armenian church to be reopened in Kayseri, Turkey

Maybe it is not surprising they lie about the last maintenance work dating from 1990. The last maintenance work was actually in the late 1990s, when they ripped out all the original 19th-century paintings from the three altars and replaced them with garishly-painted new ones.

I wonder what damage hides behind "the paintings on the walls have been renewed"?

They have been doing that since 1915. I have relatives who were given orders, under their compulsory military service, to paint over such paintings and destroy Armenian writings in stone (on the walls).

We had a whole world of communities, not just many, from Istanbul to Ararat. ARMENIANS TODAY MUST KNOW AND REMEMBER.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Armenian church to be reopened in Kayseri, Turkey

They have been doing that since 1915. I have relatives who were given orders, under their compulsory military service, to paint over such paintings and destroy Armenian writings in stone (on the walls).

We had a whole world of communities, not just many, from Istanbul to Ararat. ARMENIANS TODAY MUST KNOW AND REMEMBER.

It was Armenians who removed the old paintings and replaced them with garish new ones. I think it might have been done in the runup to the 2001 1700th anniversary. I don't know what happened to the old paintings, whether they were destroyed, or are kept somewhere, or were sold.

[AlphaPapa]

Re: Armenian church to be reopened in Kayseri, Turkey

Even a broken clock is right two times a day. I'm just saying that there was deliberate destruction of many Armenian churches and buildings and cemeteries, usually under military orders. I don't care for token gestures done for tourism, just as I dont care for ultra-nationalist Armenians (especially those that belong to 'revolutionary' parties) that go visit turkey. its the hypocrisy that i hate, not the deeds.