On September 6, the 14th liturgy will be celebrated at the Surb Khach Armenian Church on Lake Van. It is noted that preparatory work for the liturgy is underway. High-ranking Armenian clergy and a large number of tourists will participate in the Sunday liturgy, reports Ermenihaber.am.
The liturgy will start at 11:00 and end at 14:00. It should be added that since 2010 the ceremony has been held with the special permission of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Let us recall that the Sb. Khach Church in Akhtamar was built in 915-921 by order of the King of Vaspurakan Gagik Artsruni. The church was built by the famous architect, painter and sculptor Manvel (Monuel). From 1113 to 1895, the separate Catholicosate of Akhtamar operated there, after which the monasteries and churches belonging to it were transferred to the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. The island and the church were abandoned in 1915 after the Armenian Genocide.
In 2005, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism initiated the restoration of the Church of the Holy Cross on Akhtamar Island, located in the administrative territory of Gevaş (historically Vostan) province of Van. About 4 million liras were spent on the reconstruction project, which lasted about two years. In 2007, the church was opened to visitors as a museum.
After a 95-year hiatus, since 2010, a liturgy has been celebrated in the Church of the Holy Cross every September, on the Sunday following the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
