The Armenian church located in the Akshehir region of the Konya state of Turkey will be renovated. Citing the Armenian Agos Weekly, Ermenihaber writes that the church will turn into a cultural center after being renovated through the “World Humor Village” Project of Hoja Nasreddin, and the home of priests adjacent to the church will serve as a small guest house.

The project is being carried out through the combined efforts of the Municipality of Akshehir and the Turkish Ministry for Development. According to Mayor of Akshehir Salih Akkaya, it is also envisaged to renovate the Armenian bathhouse located in the premises, but over the next couple of years.

The Turkish government has envisaged a nearly 5 mln Turkish lira budget for the “World Humor Village” Project, of which 1.72 mln will be used throughout 2017.

The source adds that, according to Raymond Kevorkian’s book “The Armenians in the Ottoman Empire Before 1915”, 4,950 Armenians were living in the Akshehir region of Konya state before the Armenian Genocide. The Armenians of Akshehir had four schools and one church, that is, the Holy Trinity Church. Out of the schools, the St. Stephen’s Armenian School was particularly known in the region for its high level of education. The Armenians of Akshehir particularly developed the fields of carpet making, leather production and metal production.