Domestic

Armenian church in Malatya needs renovation, residents say

Anatolia News Agency

MALATYA -The 18th century Toshoron Armenian church in the
Ã=87avuÅ=9FoÄ=9Flu neighborhood of Malatya is in ruins, in need of
care and renovation. Ã=87avuÅ=9FoÄ=9Flu is the birthplace of Hrant
Dink, the former editor of daily Agos, who was assassinated in 2007.

Mustafa Å=9Eahin, headman of Ã=87avuÅ=9FoÄ=9Flu, spoke to the Anatolia
news agency and said the church is in need of repairs and that people
in the neighborhood are being disturbed by the homeless who have taken
residence inside. `It would be nice if the church is renovated. We do
not have any Armenians left living in our neighborhood,’ he said. `The
community dissolved; they migrated to big cities. However, there are a
few Armenian families living in Salköprü, the neighborhood next to
us. If the church was restored, it would be nice for them, too.’
Officials from the provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism said
they wrote a note to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism about
renovating the church. Although it is on the program for 2009, the
lack of funding prevents the work from starting.

26 Mayıs 2009