VAN. - Armenian News-NEWS.am’s correspondent visited the Varagavank Monastery, which is a major Armenian holy site nearby Van, Turkey, and photographed the Monastery, which collapsed after the October 23 earthquake in Van.

Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that the Monastery was damaged in the quake.

After reopening of the Holy Cross Armenian Church, on Akhtamar Island in Lake Van, Yukaribakrachli villagers had applied, to Van Provincial Hall and Provincial Department on Culture and Tourism, with a request to restore the Varagavank Monastery Complex located in their village.    

And in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am’s correspondent, the village imam Mehmet Choban had noted that the nearby mosque needs to be dismantled in order to restore Varagavank. “The new mosque is being built quickly. Once it is built, the old [one] will be dismantled and Varagavank’s restoration will start,” the imam had said, stressing that those in charge had stated that Varagavank’s restoration would start in 2012.