ARMENIAN CHURCH TO BE RESTORED IN MALATYA
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.10.2009 13:15 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A Malatya foundation established to build mosques has
assumed the financial costs of the restoration of a historic Armenian
church located in the neighborhood where assassinated Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink was born, Today’s Zaman reported.
The head of the Carmuzu Tepebasi Mosque Building and Preservation
Foundation, Latif Yildirim, said they started planning the project to
help restore the Armenian Tashoron Church in 2008 and wrote letters
to the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as well
as Armenian businessmen to win their support. They also spoke with
the Armenian Patriarchate in March, he said.
Money had been allocated for the restoration by the Culture and
Tourism Ministry in 2009; however, due to budgetary problems, the
foundation decided to take on the costs of the restoration. While
noting that their project, which they call a "project of peace," is
a model of good relations between different faiths, Yildirim said,
"We do not think we will experience financial problems."
Armenian Archbishop Aram Atesyan said the church is a cultural treasure
and added, "We will be very happy if such a project is carried
out." He also noted that there are some other churches in need of
restoration and highlighted that this must also be done. The muhtar
(local official) of the neighborhood in which the church is situated,
Mustafa Sahin, said such a project would contribute to peace and
stressed, "Whether used as a place of worship or as a museum, the
historic church will contribute to unity and solidarity in the area
as well as to tourism."