Bell to toll once more at Diyarbakır church

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Canadian artist Raffi Bedrosyan, who contributed to the restoration of the church, poses with the new bell.

One of Diyarbakır’s most important churches, Surp (St.) Giragos Armenian Church, will unveil its new bell at a ceremony early next month following restoration on the historical house of worship last year.

“The new bell, which weighs 100 kilograms, was produced in Moscow and presented as a gift from the Russian Armenian community to the Surp Giragos Church. It’s already been delivered to Diyarbakır and presented to the public,” Istanbul-based Canadian artist Raffi Bedrosyan, who contributed to the restoration of the church, recently told the Hürriyet Daily News ahead of the Nov. 4 ceremony for the new bell.

The tower was destroyed by cannon fire in 1915 on the grounds that it was taller than the minarets of mosques. The new bell has been crafted in a style similar to the original by Russian Armenians in Moscow.

“This church, the greatest Armenian Church in the Middle East, is a clear evidence of Armenian influence in Anatolia before 1915 and now it has become a pilgrimage place for all Armenians from Turkey, Armenia and the diaspora,” Bedrosyan said.

Church reopened last year
The church was used as a command center by German officers during World War I, and later used as an apparel depot by the state-owned Sümerbank until 1950. It was finally returned to the Armenian community following a lengthy legal struggle. The church reopened for worship last year, a century after its construction.

Bedrosyan also hopes to restore the historical Varagavank Monastery located in the eastern province of Van. “Both Ankara and Van agreed to launch the restoration project, but social and natural obstacles delayed the process. We wish to restore this church with the cooperative efforts of both Turkish and Armenian experts,” Bedrosyan said.