Under the Auspices of the Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Toronto
SURP GIRAGOS ARMENIAN CHURCH, DIKRANAGERDChurch Reconstruction Committee Presents BENEFIT BANQUET
UDI YERVANT from Dikranagerd via Los Angeles
Soprano LYNN ANOUSH ISNARPianist RAFFI BEDROSYAN
Armenian and Dikranagerd-style entertainment and food
Magaros Artinian Hall – Holy Trinity Armenian Church 920 Progress Avenue, Toronto, Ontario Saturday, MAY 21, 2011 at 7:30 pmTickets: $75 Limited Space
For tickets and reservation please call:
Murat Nisan – 416 768 5068 Tili Isnar – 416 512 7593
Nadia Purutoglu – 905 201 7857 Lidya Ozsungur – 905 883 0421
Simpat Dermen – 416 365 0150 Irma Evran – 416 315 4994
Jerry Aznavourian – 416 721 7763 Atam Deveci – 905 882 9481
SURP GIRAGOS ARMENIAN CHURCH DIKRANAGERD
RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTThe Surp Giragos Church in Diyarbakir/Dikranagerd, Turkey, is the largest Armenian church in the Middle East and one of the most important works of Armenian architecture. Since 1915, it has been subjected to both wilful destruction and neglect, as a result of which it was in ruins and in danger of complete collapse – until 2009, when a reconstruction project was launched by the Surp Giragos Foundation Board in Istanbul, under the auspices of the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate. The Board was successful in legalizing deed and title for the Surp Giragos Church property, then obtaining authorization and all required permits for the reconstruction, followed by worldwide fundraising activities. The Surp Giragos Church, originally dating from 1515, with seven altars and a huge footprint of 15,000 square feet, had a 100 feet high bell tower, with a bell molded by the famed Zildjians and a large golden cross at the top. The bell tower was bombarded and destroyed by German/Ottoman cannon fire in 1915, as it was deemed unacceptable to have a church tower higher than the mosque minarets. Unlike the other Armenian architectural masterpiece, the Holy Cross Armenian Church at Akhtamar