Akdamar Church

The Akdamar Church, an 1,100-year-old Armenian church situated on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, hosted its 12th special mass on Sept. 8.

Scores of people from across the country and around the world flocked to the island in the eastern province of Van to attend this significant annual event, held on the second Sunday of September.

The historic Akdamar Church in the eastern province of Van has welcomed thousands from around the world for its 10th special mass, following its restoration and reopening as a museum in 2010.

The mass, which gathered thousands of local and international faithful in Van, was officiated by priest Harutyun Damadyan.

The attendees prayed and hymned in the historic church.

The Akdamar Church, a 1,100-year-old Armenian church in Turkey's eastern Van province, hosted its ninth special mass on Sept. 5 since reopening in 2010 after a hiatus of 95 years.

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A limited number of people were taken to the island by boat to attend the ceremony due to the ongoing pandemic.

A photo exhibition depicting the Armenian Akdamar Holy Cross Church in Turkey's eastern province of Van opened in New York on Nov. 5.
Organized by the Turkish Presidency Directorate of Communications, the exhibition highlights Turkey's efforts to restore and promote the medieval Christian art and architecture.

Witnessing thousands of years of a church's history that lies in Anatolia is now a click away. As part of its attempt to promote the unique Anatolian heritage to the world, the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications has prepared a website dedicated to the 1,100-year-old Akdamar Church, a medieval Armenian church in Turkey's eastern Van province.

Akdamar Church, a medieval Armenian church in Turkey's eastern Van province, opened its doors for its first religious service in three years on Sept. 9.

In contrast to the many modern, huge (and ugly) municipality buildings in Istanbul, Edirne has a small but historic central municipality building. A picture of the members of the municipality's assembly dating from 1902 shows 12 members: Six Muslim and six non-Muslim. 

At a moment when it appears that …half – or more – of the Muslim world wants to emigrate at all costs and manner to all points west and north, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Yalçın Topçu shared his …dream of transforming the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul into an occasional mosque for prayers by the faithful.

Culture and Tourism Minister Yalç?n Topçu has said he wished for the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul to be reopened to prayers for Muslims.

Award-winning Armenian jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan performed a concert on June 23 outside the Akdamar Church on the historical Akdamar Island in the eastern province of Van.

The concert on Akdamar Island was "vigorous," said Tamar Nalc?, the project coordinator at Anadolu Kültür (Anatolian Culture), a non-profit cultural institution that organized Hamasyan's concerts in Turkey.