Turkish authorities plan to renovate the 1,700-year-old St. Bartholomew Monastery, an Armenian monastery located in Van.

The church will be open to tourists by the end of this year, said Culture and Tourism Director of the Van province

“Aside from the restoration of St. Bartholomew's, we also have many other projects that include environmental planning and restoration projects for several Urartu-era castles,” Muzaffer Aktug told Anadolu agency.

The church had been closed for years as it located within the compound of an army base, the agency reported.

The church was reopened for religious services in 2013.