First bell at Diyarbakir Armenian church tolled after 97 years

Diyarbakir's Surp Giragos Armenian Church has been reopened to service after 32 years following a restoration amounting to 4.5 million Turkish Liras. The bell tower of the church which was demolished in 1915 was also renewed. As part of repair and restoration work at the Surp Giragos Church, a new bell was made in Moscow and delivered to Diyarbakir. The bronze bell weighs 100 kilograms with a height of 27 meters. The restoration work of Surp Sarkis Giragos Armenian Church, which is very important for the Armenian community in the Middle East, was also supported by Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality with one million Turkish Liras in financial aid. Armenian Deputy Patriarch Aram Ateshian, consuls of Canada, Netherlands, Belgium and many Armenians participated in the opening ceremony of the bell tower. During the first service on Sunday, the bell tower was blessed. After the opening of the bell tower the first marriage for years was solemnized. The church which was built in 1376 is located in the Fatihpasa neighborhood in Diyarbakir's Sur district, which is densely populated by Armenians. The title for the land the church is built on used to belong to Armenian community, and it served as a metropolitan until 1915. Regarded by art historians as the biggest church in the Middle East, the Surp Giragos Church covers an area of 3,200 square meters with a capacity of 3,000 people. Used as a command centre for German officers during World War I, the church was then used as an apparel depot by the state-owned Sumerbank until 1950.