Diyarbakir Surp Giragos Armenian Apostolic Church, which was destroyed as a result of the terrorist incidents in Diyarbakir in 2015-2016 and later restored with the financial support of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, was reopened for worship with the ceremonies held on Saturday, May 7th.
The church which first carried out its official opening, later on consecrated in a ceremony presided over the Patriarch of the Armenians of Turkey Sahak II. And opened to the worship of believers. The clergy and senior readers of the Armenian Patriarchate, who came from Istanbul on May 6th, began to make the necessary preparations for the opening of the Church.
The opening ceremony, which started at 4 pm, was attended by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Governor of Diyarbakır Münir Karaloğlu, Patriarch of Armenians of Turkey Sahak II, Diyarbakır AK Party Deputies Mehmet Mehdi Eker, Ebubekir Bal and Oya Eronat, General Manager of Foundations Burhan Ersoy, Sur District Governor Abdullah Çiftçi, Archimandrite Victor Kapuşçu representing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Diyarbakır and Mardin Mor Saliba Özmen, Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Adıyaman Mor Melki Ürek, Deputy Patriarch of Chaldean Church Monsignor Fransua Yakan, Patriarchs affiliated to the Turkish Armenian Patriarchate and a large number of believers from abroad and the country attended. After the official opening, the religious ceremony took place.
With the evening prayers read after the consecration ceremony, the services in the anointed church started again. At the end of the ceremony, His Beatitude the Patriarch chatted with the believers in the churchyard and took a souvenir photo.
