Century-old Church now a culture center

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, is being animated as a robot. DHA photo

Kendirli Church, which was built in 1860 with financial support from Napoleon III, has been reopened a cultural center in the southeastern province of Gaziantep.

The building on Atatürk Boulevard, which previously served as a movie theater before becoming teachers’ lodgings, has now been reopened as the Gazi Culture Center by the local metropolitan municipality.

Besides Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, who is animated as a robot, the building displays many Turkish public heroes such as Şahinbey, Özdemirbey and Karaylan, who were significant heroes during the defense of Gaziantep against the French during the War of Independence.

Gaziantep Mayor Asım Güzelbey said the building was restored in the 1970s, when it began serving as teacher’s lodgings. He said that because of this restoration, the building had lost some of its historical features.

“We have started working to turn the building into a cultural center without making any restoration.

Thanks to a 3-D technique, which is being used for the first time in Turkey, visitors will have chance to see an Atatürk robot, as well as the heroes of Gaziantep,” he said.

The mayor said he saw a similar project at the Presidential Museum during a trip to the United States, adding that they wanted to do the same thing for Atatürk