The Church Of The Holy Cross
![The church is one of the finest surviving monuments of ancient Armenian culture in eastern Turkey.](https://gdb.rferl.org/01961726-f695-42f4-b60c-f135382aca68_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The church is one of the finest surviving monuments of ancient Armenian culture in eastern Turkey.
![The church is located on an island in Lake Van in eastern Turkey and was built in the 10th century](https://gdb.rferl.org/cd27f17e-6cf2-49b9-b911-c841c01317fd_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The church is located on an island in Lake Van in eastern Turkey and was built in the 10th century
![A Turkish flag and a picture of Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at the entrance to the church during a ceremony marking the end of its renovation in 2007.](https://gdb.rferl.org/a5e36a17-2afd-4f28-9592-9bc96ea76db9_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A Turkish flag and a picture of Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at the entrance to the church during a ceremony marking the end of its renovation in 2007.
![Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II visited the church in 2007.](https://gdb.rferl.org/34e214bc-afa0-48c5-a9c0-ca144ba9a308_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II visited the church in 2007.
![An Armenian man prays after the 2007 opening ceremony.](https://gdb.rferl.org/11bc6864-ce12-4128-aa79-8e8ea6c78190_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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An Armenian man prays after the 2007 opening ceremony.