Armenian Muslims Baptized in Turkey

Dozens of Armenians whose ancestors were forced to convert to Islam after the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire were baptized today in the newly reopened Church of St. Cyriacus in Diyarbakir, a city in southeastern Turkey. Archbishop Aram (Atesyan), administrator of the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople, celebrated the baptisms. Archbishop Vicken (Ayvazian), an auxiliary of the Eastern American Diocese of the Armenian Orthodox Church of Echmiadzin, Metropolitan Mor Philoxinos (Cetin) of Constantinople of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and a spokesman of the Ecumenical Patriarchate were also present. More here.

Armenian Orthodox Church in Diyarbakir to Reopen

A large church in upper Mesopotamia (modern day southeastern Turkey), St. Cyriacus' Church in Diyarbakir, is being renovated and will by reopened by the Armenian Orthodox Church of Constantinople later this year for use as a pilgrimage center as the city's once large Armenian community was completely wiped out by the area's Kurds and Turks during the Armenian Genocide. The church will quite possibly be the largest in use in the Middle East. More here and here.