The Holy Forty Martyrs Armenian Church in Aleppo was re-concentrated today under the guidance of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia.
Established in the 14th century, it is among the oldest active Armenian churches in Aleppo.
After rebels first overran the city in mid-2012, its Christian quarter, housing the church, became one of the city’s most notorious front lines.
In April 2015, parts of the church’s walls, its courtyards, and its entrance were damaged during shelling.
However, it has been gradually restored since Damascus reasserted its control over Syria’s second city in 2016.
The reconstruction works have been funded by the Armenian community of Aleppo. At least 150 thousand people have contributed to the restoration of the shrine.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has pledged to restore another Armenian Church in Der ez-Zor. The reconstruction is expected to start in the near future, the President said at a meeting with representatives of the local Armenian community and visiting Armenian entrepreneurs in December 2018.
(Armradio.am)