Representatives of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin refuse to participate in liturgy in Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar Island

September 4, 2010 - 18:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Participation in the liturgy in Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar Island due September 19 is unacceptable for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

“The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin regretted to learn that a consecrated cross will not be set atop Holy Cross Chuch on Akhtamar, as was promised by the Turkish government. The government promised that the cross will be set and consecrated a week prior to the liturgy. But it has not happened. To meet the wish of Constantinople Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church, we were going to send two priests for participation in the liturgy. However, it is impossible given the current situation. Representatives of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin will not participate in the liturgy in Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar,” reads the September 4 statement of the press service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Holy Cross Church

The 300-seat Holy Cross Church, located on a small island in the middle of Lake Van in eastern Turkey, is in many ways a symbol of the country's Armenian community. The church was built between 915 and 921 during the reign of Armenian King Gagik I of Vaspurakan and was one of the most important religious buildings in the region. The church, whose sandstone walls and dome are adorned with carvings of Jesus Christ and David and Goliath, is considered one of the greatest examples of Armenian architecture of the period, and an inspiration for the Gothic style that later developed in Europe, according to the New York-based Landmarks Foundation, which has advised on the church's restoration. By the end of last century, the church was falling apart due to the heavy rains and winds that swept across the lake.

Following its restoration and reopening in 2007 Holy Cross Church was operating as a museum.