Sept 5 2021
1,100-year-old Armenian church in Turkey holds 9th holy mass
Limited number of people attend ceremony due to coronavirus pandemic
News Service 14:17 AA
Due to the ongoing pandemic, a limited number of people were taken to the island by a boat to attend the ceremony.
High Priest Tatul Anusyan, secretary-general of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey and speaker of the Spiritual Committee, came to the island along with his clergy to conduct the ceremony in the church. The high priest also chatted with the visitors there.
Van Governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez and other officials also attended the mass.
Akdamar Church, a medieval Armenian place of worship, was built between 915-921 A.D. by architect Bishop Manuel under the direction of King Gagik I Artsruni.
The church, which has a special place in East-West Christian art, carries the most important adornments and the most comprehensive wall reliefs of its time and was accepted on the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage on April 13, 2015.