Armenian Church Emerges from Van Lake as Water Levels Fall, Targeted by Treasure Hunters

The Armenian church that has emerged from Van Lake due to the decline in water levels is now a target for treasure hunters. Located in the ancient city of Erciş (Archesh), if no measures are taken to preserve it, another cultural monument could disappear.

The Istanbul-based Armenian publication 'Agos' reports that Turkish academic Sedat Ulug has urged the preservation of the Armenian church. Historically, the area known as Old Archesh was submerged in 1841 due to rising water levels of Van Lake. Subsequently, drought conditions allowed the city to re-emerge.

To this day, discussions often focus on the buildings within the fortress and the historical mosque; however, the church often goes unnoticed. The famous traveler Evliya Çelebi, who visited in 1655, wrote about the fortress: 'This is an impregnable castle situated on a not-so-high hill by the shore of Van Lake. Every stone of the fortress is as large as an elephant. The fortress has two gates, and the gates of Adilcevaz are the largest. Inside the fortress are thousands of houses and 200 shops. Some of the inhabitants are Christian.'

It is noted that there was an old Armenian family in Archesh called Tarhan. It is stated that the church was established by members of that lineage, specifically Armenian clergy. Today, the church is being destroyed by treasure hunters, and if no action is taken, yet another historical monument will vanish.