Video: Armenian Rock-Cut Church in Caesarea Destroyed

The Armenian rock-cut church of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God, located in the Bahpinar neighborhood of the Melikgazi district of modern-day Kayseri (historical Caesarea) in Turkey, has been repeatedly subjected to attacks from treasure hunters and continues to suffer damage. As a result of these assaults, the church has been significantly harmed, particularly the wall murals that have been damaged due to carved cracks, reports ermenihaber.

The village head of Bahpinar, Omer Nalbant, expressed in an interview with a Turkish media outlet that the current state of the church is very sad for them, hoping that relevant authorities would restore it and turn it into a tourist attraction. According to Nalbant, he has placed iron doors and locks on the church several times, but to no avail, as the treasure hunters have broken them each time.

Finally, the Turkish source notes that representatives of the Kayseri provincial culture and tourism department have announced that all churches in the province have been registered, and some work is planned. However, there is no concrete information about the timelines.