The historic Hagia Yorgi Greek Church in the Mediterranean province of Antalya’s Alanya district in Turkey will be restored and reopened for worship by the district’s municipality.
The 300-year-old church will both provide religious services to all the Christians in the region and serve as a cultural center.
Sipahioğlu highlighted that, “The Christians living in Alanya used to worship in places they rented. With this project, we will open the church for the service of all the Christians living in our district without discrimination between Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and Catholics”.
According to him, there are various historic churches in Alanya, and the Hagia Yorgi Greek Church was only one of them. He said they have initiated the required proceedings to restore them, adding that they would also restore mosques along with the churches. “Christians have demanded a church in Alanya and we want to fulfill their request,” he said.
The Alanya Russian Education and Culture Association head Katya Gündüz said they regarded the municipality’s decision as a positive step, indicating that over 5,000 Russians are currently living in Alanya.
“We have been fighting to have a church for about 10 years,” Gündüz said, adding that her association has also made contact with the municipality in regards to the church. “The only target of our struggle is (to have) a place where we could worship. We have felt its absence for years,” Gündüz said.
(Source: Hurriyetdailynews)
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