Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Century-old church to become museum
by Izmir - Turkish Daily News
Posted: Sunday, December 17, 2000 07:35 pm CST

The 113-year-old Armenian Church in Canakkale will be converted into an ethnography museum and will be closed for Christian holy worship. Canakkale's Christian families are upset as this historical church is important to them since it is the only church in the city. After restoration work is completed Christian citizens will have nowhere to worship

Christians and foreigners living in Canakkale will lose their only place of worship when the 113 year-old Armenian church is transformed into a museum. The church will be transformed into an ethnography museum after completion of the restoration project which was initiated by the Culture Ministry in 1998 and will cost TL 110 billion.

The historic Armenian church has been used as a theatre and church by Christian people in Cannakale. This is the only place of worship available to Christian people living in Cannakale.

The Christian Miethl family said they were upset because four Christian families and Armenian citizens went to this church for worship every Sunday. Mrs. Susanne Miethl said: "When the restoration work started, we were worshipping. We did not want to disturb visitors to the ethnography museum with our worship. As Christian families, we need a place of worship for our children." She went on to say that they could worship in their houses but that children needed to breathe in the church's atmosphere. She requested that the theater, which is used as a Church, should not be closed but should remain open for worship.

Before the restoration work began the Armenian church was used as a cultural center but unfortunately it wasn't attracting enough attention from the younger generation. Canakkale Culture Director Mustafa Sevim said the project would not be altered. He stated, "The stage area will be replaced with exhibition cabinets and shelves," and added that, "The ethnography museum will not be used for Christian worship, our Christian citizens can worship in the Jewish synagogue in Cevat Pasha street."

The Armenian Church is 113 years old

The church in Canakkale was built in 1887 by Armenians who lived in the city. The building was used as a church until 1930. After 1930 it was transferred to the Treasury but was used as a warehouse until 1960. In 1960 the church was converted into an ethnography museum. In 1985, when the archeology museum was built, the church was used as a theater. In 1998, the Culture Ministry started restoration work on the church so it could once again be used as an ethnography museum.

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