St. Toros Armenian Church Destroyed in Turkey

The St. Toros Armenian Church has been destroyed in the Kütahya province of western Turkey. This was reported by Ahvalnews, citing the Armenian newspaper "Agos" published in Istanbul.

Now, the site of the historical church is flattened ground. The area was recently owned by an individual, and it has been leveled at the owner's decision.

The St. Toros Church was built during the reign of Sultan Murad of the Ottoman Empire. It was destroyed during the Celali Rebellion in 1603 but was later reconstructed. Armenian intellectual Arshak Alboyajyan notes in his book that people believed the hoof print of St. Toros's horse could be found on the rock where the church was built. According to tradition, Turkish women used to sit near the church asking priests to read the Holy Scriptures for healing from ailments.

At one time, the church also served as a hall for events, but it completely closed down later on.