St. Giragos Armenian Church (Diyarbakır)

The St. Giragos Cathedral ( Armenian Սուրբ Կիրակոս եկեղեցի ) is an Armenian Apostolic Church built in 1371 in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir and the largest Armenian church in the Middle East. It was reopened after restoration on 22 October 2011.

History

The St. Giragos Cathedral was built in 1371. During the genocide of the Armenians 1915/16 under Governor Mehmed Reschid the church was closed and destroyed their 29 m high steeple. The cathedral was 1913-1918 the German Army as a local headquarters and was later, after the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, used as a warehouse and factory.

In the 1950s, the Cathedral of the General Directorate of Foundations was assumed ( Vakiflar Genel Müdürlüğü ) and 1960 of the Armenian community returned. Until 1980, this celebrated religious services, although the Armenian community almost became extinct because of emigration in the 1970s and 1980s.

Despite sporadic efforts of the now living in the Diaspora Armenian community in Diyarbakir, the church was neglected and by 2009 left to decay, as few Armenians born in Diyarbakir but living in Istanbul established a Foundation Board under the auspices of the Constantinople Patriarchate - with the goal of rebuilding the Church and the recovery of the expropriated lands.

Special

The cathedral had seven altars. The building complex with an area of over 3,200 m² comprises priest houses, chapels and a school. The original roof was covered with earth from the region. During the renovation it was used again.

After the Church of the Holy Cross on Aghtamar in Van, it was considered most important church in Western Armenia.

Gallery

Front View of St. Giragos

Grave stone with Armenian inscription