Restoration of Akdamar (Akhtamar) Church

Island of Akdamar (Akhtamar) is located in the 50.km of highway of Van-Tatvan and is 4 km far away from the seaside.

The Akdamar Church was established by the king of Vaspurakan, Gagik the first, in years between 915 - 921. The king designed the church himself but built by architect Manuel. It was converted to monastery in 1113, when Kingdom of Vaspurakan came to end in 1021 and the Akdamar Church became the centre of the Armenian Patriarchate till 1895. After becoming the monastery, it started to be called Holly Cross Church.

At the end of the XIII. Century the Stephanus Chapel, in 1296 the Zacharias Chapel and in 1763 the Jamatun to the west of the church and lastly in the first half of XIX. Century the Tower of Gong were built.

The Akdamar Church has the best architectural decoration in the zone. In the outside part of the church you can see different themes done with different techniques of reliefs with different heights. In the first floor, started from the ground, the parts from the Bible and the Torah can be seen. The persons, princes, kings, saints related with Armenian history can be seen in the part of religious themes. Besides the beauty in the outside, the inside of the Akdamar Church is also famous with its frescos.


Turkey completed a $1.5 million restoration of the sandstone building, and invited Armenian officials to a ceremony to mark what Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has called a "positive" message.

An Armenian deputy culture minister and other prominent Armenians plan to attend the church's opening near the city of Van in eastern Turkey.