Armenian Surp Sarkis Church in Omid slated for restoration

OMID (DIYARBAKIR), Turkey — The impact of the Sayfo Genocide, against the Syriac (Aramean–Chaldean–Assyrian), Armenian and Pontic-Greek peoples, extended beyond the loss of life. It also included the destruction of the civilization built by the ancestors of the three Christian peoples over hundreds of years. A prime example of this is the 510-year-old Armenian Surp (St.) Sarkis Church in the southeastern city of Omid (Diyarbakır). It was destroyed during the Sayfo Genocide in 1915, when converted into a storage warehouse and an animal pen by the Ottomans. The remaining part of the church later collapsed due to antiquities thieves and the 2023 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.

Due to the church’s significant importance to cultural and historical heritage, Omid Metropolitan Municipality and the foundation of the Armenian Surp Giragos Church have decided to restore the church, Agos Gazetesi reports.

On October 11, the Mayor of Omid Municipality Serra Bucak and Head of the Surp Giragos Church Foundation Ergün Ayık signed a protocol whereby the municipality provides financial support for the church’s renovation. Also present at the signing ceremony were the Vice President of the Surp Giragos Church Foundation Ohannes Gaffur Ohanyan, Head of the Department of Cultural and Social Affairs Zeynep Yaş, Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Beliefs and Minorities İbrahim Türkay and Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture Redur Dijle.

Related: Restoration begins in an Armenian church in Omid (Diyarbakir), Turkey

The signed protocol aims to restore the church to preserve its historical state and pass it on to future generations, in addition to contributing to tourism revitalization.

Türkay noted that the announcement of support and protocol signing is a positive development for the foundation and the church, “We have been seeking funding for its repair for over a year. We managed to collect some aid from the Armenian community, but it wasn’t enough. We also sought funding from state institutions,” he added.

The Surp Sarkis Church, also known as the Çeltik (Raw Rice) Church, has remained a destination for Armenian generations throughout the years, since it is on their historical ancestral lands.