The situation of the historical Ayvalos Church and the Pavrezi Chapel, located in the borders of the Mescitli village of GÜMÜŞHANE, caused the reaction of TEMA Foundation Representative Yusuf Oral. Oral requested the restoration of the buildings and their use for tourism.
The historic Ayvalos Church and the Pavrezi chapel, belonging to the Byzantine period were included in the list of the buildings protected by the Cultural Directorate, but the restoration work did not start yet. While historical buildings were excavated by the treasure hunters from time to time, it was seen that the trees grew in the interior and their roots damaged the walls of the church and chapel.
Yusuf Oral, the TEMA Foundation’s Gumushane Representative, requested the buildings to be used for tourism. He said the trees growing inside the church and the chapel. “There are trees about 30 years old. Which means that the authorities have never been here to check the situation of the historical buildings. We need to intervene. This destruction is most likely caused by local or foreign treasure hunters searching for valuable items. Both the floor and the walls of the church are ruined. We must protect these historical structures. If not, it can collapse in 2-3 years” Oral said.
