Bell prepared in Moscow will ring in Diyarbakir’s Armenian church on
November 4 (PHOTOS)
August 23, 2012 | 15:45
The bell, which was prepared in Moscow and is intended for the belfry being
built at Saint Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir, Turkey, has arrived
in the city.
The bell, which is made of bronze and weighs 100 kilograms, will ring once
again in the Armenian church after 97 years, CNN Turk news agency of Turkey
informs.
The Church’s restoration, which commenced nearly 2.5 years ago, is coming
to an end, and the next Holy Liturgy will be celebrated at the
completely-renovated monastic complex on November 4.
Saint Giragos Armenian Church of Diyarbakir was built in 1376, in the
city’s district where large number of Christians lived until the Armenian
Genocide.
The belfry of the Church, which is the largest Christian cathedral in the
Middle East, was destroyed by a lightning in 1913. Subsequently, the local
Armenians built a new belfry, whose bell was prepared by a mixture of gold
and copper. In 1915, however, the Turks destroyed the belfry with cannons
solely because it was higher than the minarets of the surrounding
mosques.
Saint Giragos Church was left to its fate after 1980, but Diyarbakir
Armenians who now live in Istanbul established the Saint Giragos Fund to
restore the church. The Fund paid 70 percent of the restoration costs,
worth $2.5 million dollars, and the Diyarbakir City Hall paid the remaining
30 percent.
News from Armenia – NEWS.am
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2012/08/23/bell-prepared-in-moscow-will-ring-in-diyarbakirs-armenian-church-on/
