High-Altitude Church Reborn at 2,978m to Lure Tourists to Türkiye
(MENAFN) A centuries-old church on a peak nearly 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) above sea level in southeastern Türkiye has been restored, as local authorities push to draw more visitors to the rugged region.
The Church of the Virgin Mary, believed to date to the fourth or fifth century, sits atop Mount Mereto, which rises 2,978 meters (9,770 feet) in Batman province’s Sason district.
Restoration, which began in 2024, is now finished, provincial Culture and Tourism Director Mehmet Ihsan Aslanli told a state-run news agency. The site is sacred to Armenian Christians and has already received visitor groups from Armenia, though no official opening ceremony has been held, he said.
Alongside the church, a mosque is under construction as part of wider efforts to build up tourism, Sason District Governor Furkan Basar said.
Authorities have paved roughly 19 kilometers (12 miles) of road to the summit and created camping areas, hiking trails and cafes. A ski resort is also being built to bring in visitors year-round.
Basar tied the tourism push to better security under Türkiye’s ongoing “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, which seeks to end decades of conflict involving the PKK terrorist group.
“We are gradually beginning to reap the benefits of tourism even at the highest peak in the southeast,” he said.
The Church of the Virgin Mary, believed to date to the fourth or fifth century, sits atop Mount Mereto, which rises 2,978 meters (9,770 feet) in Batman province’s Sason district.
Restoration, which began in 2024, is now finished, provincial Culture and Tourism Director Mehmet Ihsan Aslanli told a state-run news agency. The site is sacred to Armenian Christians and has already received visitor groups from Armenia, though no official opening ceremony has been held, he said.
Alongside the church, a mosque is under construction as part of wider efforts to build up tourism, Sason District Governor Furkan Basar said.
Authorities have paved roughly 19 kilometers (12 miles) of road to the summit and created camping areas, hiking trails and cafes. A ski resort is also being built to bring in visitors year-round.
Basar tied the tourism push to better security under Türkiye’s ongoing “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, which seeks to end decades of conflict involving the PKK terrorist group.
“We are gradually beginning to reap the benefits of tourism even at the highest peak in the southeast,” he said.
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