Armenian church reopening concerts canceled in Diyarbakir
20/10/2011
DIYARBAKIR. – The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople canceled the concerts that were to be held in Diyarbakir, Turkey, with regard to reopening of the city’s St. Giragos Armenian church.
The Patriarchate canceled the events in connection with Wednesday’s killing of 24 Turkish military servicemen by Kurdish fighters, Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reported from Diyarbakir.
Reopening and consecration of St. Giragos, which is one of the largest churches in the Middle East, will take place on October 22 while the first Holy Mass will be celebrated on the next day.
The church was left to its fate after 1980, but Diyarbakir Armenians who now live in Istanbul established the St. Giragos Fund in order to restore the church. This Armenian fund paid 70 percent of the restoration costs, worth $2.5 million dollars, and the Diyarbakir City Hall paid the remaining 30 percent.
St. Giragos will reopen as a functioning church.
