An 1,100-year-old Armenian church in Turkey’s eastern Van province hosted its tenth special Mass since it opened in 2010 after a 95-year hiatus, reported Mesut Varol and Emre Ilikan from Anadolu Agency.
Sahak Mashalyan, head of the Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey, and Father Harutyun Damatian came to the island with their clergy to perform the ceremony at Akdamar Church.
The liturgy was presided over by Damatian and attended by 46 clerics from the patriarchate and some visitors from Istanbul, Armenia and other parts of the world.
After the liturgy, Mashalyan expressed his gratitude to the authorities who gave permission for the ceremony to take place.
He also made remarks about the ongoing dialogue between Turkey and Armenia.
Stressing that the Turkish and Armenian nations share a thousand-year coexistence, Mashalyan said the two nations can develop promising and brighter relations, Anadolu Agency reported.
“Today we prayed that the two friendly peoples would live in peace so that the Caucasus would become a land of peace. May God protect our country and humanity,” Mashalyan said.
Hundreds of pilgrims flocked to the island where the unique temple is located.
Akdamar Church, a medieval Armenian place of worship, was built between 915-921 by architect Bishop Manuel under the direction of King Gagik I Artsruni.
The church, which has a special place in East-West Christian art, bears the most important decorations and the most elaborate wall reliefs of its time and was accepted into the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on April 13, 2015.
On September 19, 2010, Akdamar Church hosted its first service after a 95-year hiatus. Since then, a service is held in the church once a year, only on this day.
Photo: Akdamar Church, on the island of the same name in Lake Van, Turkey | AA
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