Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has pledged support for restoring the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebastea Armenian Church, according to Archbishop Sahak Mashalian, Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople. He shared the news during a community reception held on January 6, the Armenian Christmas Day, 1lurer.am reports.
The church, located in Iskenderun, Hatay Province in southern Turkey, was built in the late 19th century and was severely damaged in the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the Turkey-Syria border in February 2023.
During a December 2025 visit to Ankara, Archbishop Mashalian raised the issue with Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
Speaking at a gathering with Armenian community representatives at the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God in Istanbul, Mashalian said the church’s restoration is now officially part of the Ministry’s support program.
