April 21, 2014 - 13:30 AMT
Hundreds gather for Easter Sunday Mass in Diyarbakir Armenian Church

Hundreds turned out for Easter Sunday Mass at the Sourp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir Sunday, April 20, according to The Armenian Weekly.

Among the attendees were newly-elected Diyarbakir Metropolitan co-mayor Fırat Anlı and former mayor of the Diyarbakir Sur Municipality Abdullah Demirbaş.

Der Kevork Çınaryan led the Mass at the largest Armenian church in the Middle East, which was renovated and opened for service three years ago.

Last year, the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul had come under harsh criticism for not sending a member of the clergy to lead Easter Mass at Sourp Giragos.

Kenan Sarraf, a member of the Sourp Giragis Foundation, told the Weekly that he was gratified to witness close to 1,500 people attend the Easter celebration at the church.

An exhibition, titled “Bearing Witness to the Lost History of an Armenian Family Through the Lens of the Dildilian Brothers (1872-1923),” opened after the Easter Mass.

Photo: The Armenian Weekly