The Karmrak St. Nshan Armenian Church is neglected, and due to this, the cupola and interior columns of the church have collapsed. The renovation of the church and the task of appointing a curator, presented to the municipality by the Democratic Regions Party, are incomplete. The owner of the territory of the Karmrak St. Nshan Armenian Church (located at Kurubulak Street of Hersan district in central Bitlis) has changed, but the state of the church hasn’t changed. In 1921, the territory pertaining to the church was granted to the local cigarette factory. Until the 1990s, both the church and the cupola had remained standing, but later, due to negligence, the columns of the interior had started collapsing. Six years ago, the 4-meter high columns of the rectangular church with frescos collapsed.

Husein Olan, who is a member of the Democratic Regions Party (DRP) and has been appointed Deputy Mayor of Bitlis, said the church’s renovation has been launched, but the renovation works remained incomplete since a curator was not designated.

The initiatives of the DRP presented to the municipality were ineffective

Olan stated that he had addressed the Development Agency of Eastern Anatolia (DAKA) (it was supposed to design a project for the church’s restoration) with the request to speed up restoration. In addition, Olan visited the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople and had a meeting with Archbishop Aram Ateshian, but when the task of designating a curator was not completed and Olan was arrested, the efforts put in for restoration of the church were in vain. Olan was aspiring to turn the church into a city museum, but the church will remain as a prayer house since there is no response to the application.

Cars of municipality employees are parked near the church

The area near the church has turned into a parking lot for the employees of the municipality. The large machines of the municipality designed for performing various tasks are also parked near the church. The walls of the church are cracked and dilapidated. All the walls of the church are built with smooth stones. The two doors of the church have been destroyed by treasure hunters and due to demolition, and the remaining door is in such a state that it will collapse sooner or later. The wall on the left side of the door of the entrance to the church has slanted and may collapse at any moment. The several nails on the walls of the church show how the history of the church is being erased.

mezopotamyaajansi.com

Translated from Turkish into Armenian by Ani Melkonyan

Source: Akunq