ARMENIAN CHURCH IN TURKEY AWARDED EU CULTURAL HERITAGE AWARD

18:46, 22 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The Armenian Church of St. Giragos in Diyarbakir (Tigranakert)
was awarded the Prize for Cultural Heritage by the European Union,
Anadolu Agency reports.

“This church should be known all around the world,” head of the St.

Giragos Church Foundation, Ergun Ayık, said on Wednesday.

The church was built in 1376 and restored in 2011.

Ayık noted that the award was prestigious not only for the church
and the region, but also for the whole country.

He stated that he was pleased with the fact that the church was saved
from destruction and added that six years ago, no one believed the
restoration of the church would take place.

“Armenians from the U.S., Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands
come here to visit the church,” said Ayık, adding that the complex
contributed to boosting tourism in the province.

The ceremony for the European Union Cultural Heritage Awards will be
held on June 11 in Oslo.