A writer fighting for renovation of Saint Giragos Armenian church in Dyarbakir wants to return an ancient Bible found several years ago.

Mkrtish Markosyan said the Bible was fond in 2001 in a stack of papers when the church was half destroyed, Agos daily writes. The writer said it was published in 1690 in Venice.  

“When I learnt that the church will be turned into a museum of the Armenian heritage, I decided to transport it [the Bible] to Diyarbakir,” he said.

Diyarbakir Municipality will turn a section of the church into a museum, obtain items that belonged to Armenians, and take care of and protect this area by its own means.