Treasure Hunters Continue to Destroy Van's Armenian 'Holy Virgins' Monastery Ruins

The Armenian "Holy Virgins" (Siant Marinos) monastery, located in the Akboyu neighborhood of the Gyrpynar district of Van, continues to deteriorate due to natural disasters and the assaults of treasure hunters. This was reported by Ermenihaber.

According to Mehmet Top, a lecturer at Van's Yuzuncu Yil University, the monastery complex has suffered especially severe damage from the Van earthquake of 1648. The Turkish professor confirms that this complex is one of the many examples of Christian and particularly Armenian architecture in Van.

Throughout its existence, the structure predominantly served as a convent, which is the origin of the monastery's name. It is known that before the Armenian Genocide, meaning before being ultimately left to fate in the early 20th century, between 200-300 virgins lived in the complex. The location of the monastery was chosen so that there were no settlements in the immediate surroundings. It was built in the middle of two gorges, on the slope of a hill facing the plain. Today, the complex is located 7 kilometers from the Gyrpynar district of Van.

The semi-dilapidated dome and walls that remain of the church, primarily built from adobe bricks, allow for some understanding of the church's location and that of various auxiliary structures within the monastery complex.