Akdamar Church hosts 14th annual Armenian liturgy in Lake Van

The 14th annual Armenian liturgy was held at the historic Akdamar Church on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, Turkey. The ceremony was conducted with special permission from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which allows the church to open for worship once a year.

Patriarch of Armenian Prelates in Turkey, Sahak Maşalyan, presided over the event, while Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan of the Armenian Church of the Eastern United States led the service. Participants, including clergy and visitors from Turkey and abroad—including the US, Europe, Armenia, and Iran—gathered at the Gevaş pier and traveled to the island by boat.

During the service, attendees lit candles, sang hymns, and prayed for global peace and improved relations between Turkey and Armenia. Built between 915 and 921, the church was restored in 2007 and currently serves as a museum. The annual liturgy, which resumed in 2010 after being closed following the 1915 Russian occupation, remains a significant religious and cultural event for the Armenian community.