Repair works continue in the Virgin Mary Church with Turkish flag motifs in Kayseri, which is built up in 19thcentury. The decorations and frescoes are brought to light, and the historical building is intended to be restored as an important urban library.
The church, which suffered many interventions in the past and lost its originality, remained idle for a long time. Through an agreement signed in 2012 for 25 years, the church building is allocated to the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality. The restoration work of the Church of the Virgin Mary initiated upon this agreement.
Within the scope of the repair, the plaster and paints were cleaned and the original layer of the building became visible. As a result of serious efforts, many measures were taken in order to avoid damaging frescoes and wall ornaments by using special methods. Following the completion of the repair works, a project was prepared by the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality in order to bring the structure into the cultural life.
The Historical Church is aimed to be transformed into a Library
Mayor Mustafa Celik said that they started a work in order to bring the church building into the cultural life of the city. He added “We thought it would be appropriate to use this structure for cultural purposes. As a result, we decided to make a 24-hour library for our people. We prepared the restoration project which have received approval from the protection board. This church was built in the 1838s as we understood from its inscription. It has approximately one thousand square meters of indoor space. After the arrangement we will make in the historical space, it will become a library with 200 seating capacity. This will a 24-hour research library. There will be also internet conection.”
The church, which was built between 1835-1838 in the historical Kiçikapı district, has been used previously as used as a warehouse, exhibition hall, municipal police station and sports hall (KayseriHaber).
