The Armenian church that was built in the once Armenian-populated Balu district of Turkey and is now in ruins, will be renovated, reports tert.am.

Mayor of Balu Mehmet Sait Dagoglu visited the Armenian church and said: “The church in which we are in has served the Armenian community for eight centuries. It was standing in the 1970s, and one can see that in photos. Those seeking treasures have caused serious damage to the church, and the residents haven’t preserved the church. During my meetings with members of the Armenian community, we planned to start reconstruction in 2015 and 2016. God willing, we’ll be able to rebuild the church. I’ll be meeting with our Armenian friends and neighbors in Balu again.”

The mosque of the city has also been rebuilt.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency, the mayor mentioned that residents of different faiths have been living together in those territories for centuries.

“They have been living side-by-side and have been following their faith in tranquility. The mosque of Ulu was rebuilt this month. Currently, our meetings with the Armenian community continue. If everything works out, we’ll start reconstruction of this church with a 100 meter area in 2015-2016,” he said.

The mayor said Balu is like a mosaic.

“Balu was very significant in terms of civilizations, arts and different cultures. Today, we’re fighting to have artists work side-by-side again,” he said.