The Surp Yerrortutyun (Holy Trinity) Armenian Church in Konya’s AkÅŸehir district, one of the largest in Turkey will be turned into a “cultural center,” reports Agos.
The total cost of the restoration of the building, which has been closed to worship and tourism until now, has amounted to approximately 3.5 million TL (a little less that half a million dollars). It is not yet clear when the official opening of the church in its new capacity will take place.
According to the information given by Raymond Kevorkian in his book “Armenians in the Ottoman Empire Before 1915”, 4,950 Armenians lived in Konya AkÅŸehir before 1915. In addition to the Surp Yerrortutyun Church, which was built in 1859, there were also four Armenian educational institutions in the district. Among these schools, the Surp Istepannos School was famous in all provinces for its superior education quality. Armenian craftsmen in the district were known for furry, leather making, carpet weaving and hardware.
