ANKARA: Turkish Imam goes the extra mile for ancient Armenian church

TRT World, Turkey

Aug 17 2017
  • 12 hours ago
We keep this chapel clean and ready for worship because we care about people and respect their beliefs, Metin Halici says.

An Armenian church built in the year 120 AD by Anatolian priests, is located in the courtyard of Yozgat's Sarikaya Mosque in Turkey.

Besides a cross drawn on its door, the building does not look like a church from the outside. 

However, Armenians still come from as far as the US and Argentina to worship there. 

The Imam of the mosque Metin Halici, has taken it upon himself to keep both places of worship clean.

He grabs a broom and dust cloth to clean the ancient church a few days every week. 

This is his story:

Watch the video at 

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS