The interior of the Karasun Manuk Armenian Church is seen.
Restoration has officially begun at the 150-year-old Karasun Manuk Armenian Church in Hatay, following structural and altar damage sustained during the devastating 2023 earthquakes.
The project receives 5 million Turkish Liras ($130,000) in support following decisions by the Hatay Cultural Heritage Preservation Board and the Monuments Board, with contributions from the Culture and Tourism Ministry. Built in 1876, the historic church sits in the İskenderun district.
Karasun Manuk Armenian Church Foundation Chairman Yusuf Tabaş noted that while the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes spared the church from total destruction, severe ground movement bulged its walls and compromised its main structure and altar. He added that heavily damaged outbuildings will be rebuilt from scratch, while the church’s income-generating shops are also slated for full restoration.
The church will close to religious services this weekend to allow crews to begin the structural interventions safely and quickly.
“As part of the restoration, the roof of the church will primarily be renewed, the floor will be restored and the existing drainage problem will be solved. Altars will be rebuilt, and necessary works will be carried out on walls requiring repair and exterior facades,” Tabaş said.
The twin earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş claimed more than 53,000 lives across 11 provinces in southern Türkiye. The mainshocks leveled entire urban centers and inflicted severe damage on hundreds of registered cultural assets, including historic mosques, churches and ancient monuments spanning centuries of human history. Authorities continue to prioritize the rapid restoration of all affected cultural.
