Historic Orthodox church opens doors to visitors

NEVŞEHİR

Following the completion of meticulous restoration works conducted by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the 174-year-old Virgin Mary Church in the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir has been opened to visitors.

The historic Orthodox church, built in 1849, was used as a house of worship for Orthodox Greeks in the region until 1924 and served as a prison between 1950 and 1983.

A second floor was also constructed to use the church building as a prison, and after 1983, the church was abandoned.

With a comprehensive restoration project of the ministry, the church was brought into tourism after standing idle for nearly 40 years.

While giving a speech at the opening ceremony of the historical structure, Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Nadir Alpaslan noted that the damage the church suffered over time was repaired with a three-year effort.

“It [the church] is a significant cultural asset of our country. Unfortunately, there were serious problems related to the destruction and misuse of this cultural property after 1950. Today, this damage has been fixed with appropriate restoration,” Alpaslan explained.

Describing the church as one of the masterpieces of the late Ottoman period, Alpaslan pointed out that serious steps continue to be taken for the protection of historical and cultural sites throughout the country.

“As the ministry, we are working for future generations by approaching our cultural assets with great sensitivity and protecting them wherever they are located in Türkiye.”

For her part, Nevşehir Governor İnci Sezer Becel stated that Türkiye is undoubtedly the center of different religions, beliefs and places of worship.

Nevşehir has also offered a living space to different cultures for centuries, and the region has a rich tourism potential thanks to the historical buildings inherited by the previous generations, Becel stated.

“Türkiye is a destination that has increased its importance in recent years within the framework of world faith tourism,” she said.

Along with the Virgin Mary Church, religious buildings in the city, such as İbrahim Pasha Complex and Hacı Bektaşi Veli Lodge, will also attract the attention of local and foreign tourists and serve faith tourism, Becel added.