A church and monastery will be open for prayer once a year, Turkish Hurriyet daily reports, referring to Culture and Tourism Ministry.

According to the daily, Surp Hac Church on Akhtamar Island in Lake Van and the Monastery of Sumela in Trabzon will be open. “Mainly spearheaded by efforts to bring prayers back into churches, Turkey’s cultural initiatives are set to accelerate in 2010,” the daily reads.

The source quotes Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay who once said: “Let Armenian and Turkish experts restore the ruins of Ani together.” “Ani is a common legacy of humanity,” he stated. “We must do all we can to pass it on to the future generations.”

“It is widely assumed that the dialogue process between Turkey and Armenia started with the national football match last year. However, the actual contact began with the restoration process of the Surp Hac Church on Akdamar Island in Lake Van. Former Culture Minister Atilla Koc contacted Gagik Gurciyan and invited the Armenian expert to visit Turkey. Although coordinated efforts were realized despite the two countries’ closed borders, heavy criticism was levied in Armenia and among the Diaspora following the church’s opening as a museum,” the source says.

According to Hurriyet, Gunay said that despite “legal hitches” cross will be placed atop the Surp Hac church.