11:00, 2 October 2010

Cross installed on dome of Surb Khach Armenian Church in Turkey

In the evening on September 30, a cross was installed on the dome of the Armenian Church of Surb Khach located on Akhtamar Island (Turkey). All the works took several hours.

Many Armenians from around the world refused to visit the first after the restoration liturgy in the Church of Surb Khach, which was held on September 19, right because the Turkish authorities had failed to install the cross on the dome of the church by the day of the liturgy.

Now, the dome of Surb Khach is crowned by a 70-kg iron cross, 130 cm wide and 2.5 m long, the "Panorama.am" reports with reference to the Turkish news agency "Cihan".

Representatives of the Turkish party have reconfirmed that the cross had not bee installed in time, by September 19, when the liturgy was appointed, for technical not political reasons.

It is planned that on October 2, Munir Karaoglu, Governor of the Turkish Wan Province, and Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, Deputy Head of the Constantinople Eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, will hold the opening ceremony in connection with the establishment of the cross, the "News.am" said.