News - Armenian church put up for sale in Turkey

The Saint Mother of God Armenian Church in Sivas (Sebastia, in Armenian) Province of Turkey has been put up for sale, reports Ermenihaber. The church, which was abandoned after the Armenian Genocide of 1915, became the property of a local resident named Hatice Akay, who, deciding to sell it, turned to a real estate agency. And the real estate agent told the DHA news agency that there is a certificate of ownership and there are no obstacles in the sale of this church. "The church is a protected area of the first degree and is under protection. We have put it up for sale since today, and we want 16 million liras [around US$500,000] for it," the real estate agent added. The Saint Mother of God Armenian Church is located in Goydun village and was built in the 19th century. It was registered in 2012 as a Group 1 cultural immovable property requiring protection. Images of the cross are carved on the inner and outer walls of this church built with consecrated stones.