Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
A 1,700-year-old church on a prime location where the new owner has a lot of freedom for development has failed to sell as it comes with a catch – the graves of three dead bishops which can not be moved.
The Mor Yuhanna church in the district of Artuklu in the south-eastern Turkish province of Mardin is registered as a 1,700-year-old cultural asset by the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
But despite that, there is still a lot of room for manoeuvre for any new owner that would allow it to be used for a number of purposes.
it was bought some years ago by a local man who turned into a carpentry, and after the business was inherited by his son he decided to use it as a warehouse before then deciding to sell it.
The building has several large halls and attached chapels, two secret tunnels, and three graves containing Assyrian bishops.
The unnamed local man put the church up for sale for TRY 7.2 million (GBP 662,255), choosing a lower price because he was looking for a quick sale for the property in an area that sees many tourists.
Estate agent Mahsum Altay who is handling the deal confirmed the ancient church is private property and therefore any potential buyer can do with it as they choose within reason.
He said: “I looked at the title deed and realised it did indeed belong to an individual. I later learned there is no legal barrier so I agreed to sell it.”
Altay added that the building has been used as a carpentry workshop for many years saying: “It was a business handed down from father to son.
“It was then converted into a warehouse. The son wants to sell it now.”
The estate agent mentioned the property’s two tunnels: “One leads to Deyrulzafaran Monastery and the other leads to the castle.”
Altay said: “Whoever buys it has to take care and keep in mind the importance of the tunnels and the fact that the graves inside must remain untouched.”
The Assyrian community said they were saddened by the decision to sell the church, believing that it should remain a house of God and be operated by the Mardin Deyrul-zafaran Foundation.
They added that they were unable to raise enough funds to buy the church and that they asked the relevant bodies to intervene and halt the sale.
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