YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS: Reconstruction works are being held in Armenicn church Iskhan in Artvin which is located in the territory of present Turkey. The church also has the name “bloody monastery”. The reconstruction has been initiated by Ministry of culture and tourism of Turkey. “Armenpress” reports that about this informs Turkish evrensel.net website.

Armenian Ishkhan church has been built in the middle of seventh century. In the fist half of ninth century Armenian king Smbat built the monastery instead of the first destroyed building. The building has a basilica type.

According to tradition the construction works of the monastery lasted 8 years. It was finished by daughter of king Smbat – Helen. The monastery is also called “Bloody monastery” because according to tradition beautiful Helen set a condition to marry with the man whose arrow shot from a distance of 2 km would pass over the church. Many young men try to do it but nobody manages it. They are all buried in the place where their arrow falls down.  

Until Armenian Genocide – 1915 the monastery functioned. After the genocide Turkish army with many other churches used it for 40 years as a stable.

Turkish website informs that every year thousands of tourists visit the Armenianc hruch which admires everyone. Turkish side thinks that after the reconstruction more tourists will visit the church.