FROM SOURCE:

Surp Giragos Church, the largest extant Armenian Orthodox Church in Diyarbakir, underwent a comprehensive restoration process from 2010 to 2014. The church was heavily damaged in the period of clashes in the city in 2015. Both its walls and roof were damaged by firearms; and the failure to intervene immediately increased the damage. Later, demolition work carried out to extend Yenikapi Street, which a façade of the church faces, destroyed all the officially registered shops that belonged to the church. In 2018, restoration work began anew. In this section, Meral Halifeoglu writes about the architectural history and significance of Surp Giragos Church. Then, Armenian writer Jaklin celik, departing from her mother Mari celik's memoirs, tells the story of the Diyarbakir they left in 1970, the Armenian community's relationship with the city, and Surp Giragos Church. celik's words keeps a record of the details of the everyday life of a bygone period.