Most of the work is complete: 1,900-year-old rock church in Diyarbakır opened to tourism

A roughly 1,900-year-old rock church in the Eğil district of Diyarbakır has been opened to tourism following restoration efforts.

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Most of the work is complete: 1,900-year-old rock church in Diyarbakır opened to tourism

Eğil, where the prophets Zülkifl and Elyesa—whose names are mentioned in the Quran—are believed to be buried, continues to be an important center for cultural and faith tourism with its Eğil Castle, estimated to have been built during the Assyrian period, as well as the Kralkızı Dam Lake, city wall cisterns, and historical structures.

Excavation work, initiated two years ago at the historical castle with the support of the District Governorship and the municipality and under the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, continues under the direction of Prof. Dr. Vecihi Özkaya, a faculty member of the Dicle University (DÜ) Archaeology Department.

80 PERCENT OF THE WORK IS COMPLETE

Following the restoration and opening of two of the four ancient tunnels in the castle to tourism, 80 percent of the work carried out at the rock church has also been completed.

Documentation, site arrangement, and cleaning work were carried out at the approximately 1,900-year-old church, which features numerous cross symbols on its walls.

The path to the church was arranged to ensure easy access for domestic and foreign visitors, and a staircase was also constructed.

News Source: AA