Armenian church in Turkey now serves as a stableNovember 8, 2017 - 17:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The half-destroyed Armenian church of St Thomas in the village of Altinsac in Turkey’s Van province is now being used as a stable, Ermenihaber.am reports. Relics of the Apostle St. Thomas were buried in the church, built in the 10th-11th centuries not far from Lake Van. After its renovation in 1671, the church turned into a monastic complex but is now on the verge of final dilapidation because of negligence and treasure hunters’ attacks. The tourism department of Van recently declared the church a tourist site, but travelers will find a stable instead in case they decide to visit the ancient Armenian church. A number of Armenian churches are used as stables, reception halls or serve the most diverse purposes across Turkey. More recently, the Turkish government confiscated St. Giragos Armenian church, under Article 27 of the Expropriation Law. Neighbouring Syriac, Chaldean and Protestant churches were also expropriated as part of the same decision, which comprised the expropriation of some 6,300 plots of land in Diyarbakir's Sur (walled town) district, about 80% of the property in that district. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |