Daughter of Sassoun Armenian Woman Baptized at Sourp Giragos
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (A.W.)—Hundreds turned out for Easter Sunday Mass at the Sourp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir today.
Among the attendees were newly-elected Diyarbakir Metropolitan co-mayor Fırat Anlı and former mayor of the Diyarbakir Sur Municipality Abdullah Demirbaş.
Der Kevork Çınaryan led the Mass at the largest Armenian church in the Middle East, which was renovated and opened for service three years ago.
Last year, the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul had come under harsh criticism for not sending a member of the clergy to lead Easter Mass at Sourp Giragos.
Kenan Sarraf, a member of the Sourp Giragis Foundation, told the Weekly that he was gratified to witness close to 1,500 people attend the Easter celebration at the church.
An Armenian girl, Amber Kaz, whose mother hails from Sassoun, was baptized after Easter Mass. Her family currently lives in Istanbul but wanted to see Amber Kaz baptized at Sourp Giragos.
An exhibition, titled “Bearing Witness to the Lost History of an Armenian Family Through the Lens of the Dildilian Brothers (1872-1923),” opened after the Easter Mass.
This report was filed by the Armenian Weekly Diyarbakir correspondent Gulisor Akkum.
Gulisor Akkum
Latest posts by Gulisor Akkum (see all)
- Prominent Kurdish Human Rights Lawyer Killed in Diyarbakir - November 28, 2015
- The AKP’s Election Battle - October 13, 2015
- Voters Hit Polls in Pivotal Parliamentary Election in Turkey - June 7, 2015
Beautiful God bless-
This church shows how things can be solve wisely.I hope people with immature thinking skills can learn a little bit from the people from the other side. Kudos for all the people who did everything to build this church. God bless them.
Thank you, dear Gulisor! Reading about these hopeful developments from far, far away is not the same thing as being there, but with you keeping us informed, the pressure mounts on us to visit Diyarbekir, meet the people, and live a few moments of our life with them.
Lovely heartfelt story to counter all the bluster, conspiratorial journalism and empty puffery coming out of the rest of Turkey. How wonderful it would be if Diyarbakir, such a brilliant city, could show the way to peace and understanding.
This is amazing. Who would have ever thought this would take place again, and even while an extremist lunatic is in charge of Turkey? I would even say this is even a better turnout than many Armenian churches outside of Turkey. I wonder though, have they come from all around, and are most Armenians?
Happy Easter
Brave people, like the First Christians, there and throughout the Muslim world. We take our religious liberty in the US for granted. We complain at our Churches in the West about such trivia compared to these people.
O Lord, Protect the Armenian Nation from jealous neighbors and civil appeared anemia’s, Amen
Did I miss it? Where is there any mention of any religious services in the sole existing Mosque in Armenia for Turks and/or Azeris, at ANY time of the year?
Come back and ask us the same question when the first Christian religious service takes place in the Turk occupied and Turk desecrated Hagia Sophia Church, Robert the Turk.
Since the Turks and/or Azeris of your standards have proven to us that they are Genocide perpetrating fake Muslims (savages who hide behind religion to commit crimes against humanity), we determined that it would be a waste of time to host pseudo-Muslim Genocide perpetrators and deniers in Armenia’s blue mosque, not to mention that you extremists would pose a security risk.
Of course, visiting normal Muslims, regardless of nationality, have no issues using the blue mosque in Armenia, so yes, you missed it.
You must not be Armenian to ask this question. I? your state of mind,;evidently mindless and heartless.
From: an American Armenian whose Mother’s Father and Mother and 15 year old Brother, who lived richly and happily and caringly, and who were murdered in Diyarbakir…among GOD KNOWS how many innocent more.
Robert, services are held all the time in Kars, Ardahan, Van, among other cities.
We are sooo inspired by this ceremony & the fact our G’father was from Diyarbakir that we are planning, sometime in the near future to travel there . Can hardly wait !