Part 4/5 – Two Days in Diyarbakır (Amed): Two Churches, Two Different Atmospheres (St. George & Mar Petyun)

Hello everyone🙋🏻‍♀️ In the 4th part of our trip to Diyarbakır, this time I will share a completely different experience: Two different churches I visited in Diyarbakır. Both were in the same city, but their atmosphere was very different. One of them was a quieter, more "inside the museum" feeling. The other was more lively; it was a place that was actively used, with people in it and a stronger sense of worship.

The first church was Saint George Church, which we came across in the area where the Diyarbakır Museum was located. When you see the sign outside, you are already curious. When I entered the door, I immediately felt this: This place has a very strong architecture. That famous stone texture of Diyarbakır is also here. Huge black stones, high walls, arches... The language of the place officially says "I saw a lot".

One of the things I liked the most about this church was simplicity and emptiness. It wasn't very crowded. It even made some places feel "not used much", but it was still nice that it was open. People walk more slowly in such places. You stand in one corner and look up, go to another corner and examine the stonework. That rhythm of the dome and belts is very impressive. We already know what kind of character the stone architecture in Diyarbakır is; it was a pleasure to see that character from the inside in this church.

This first church trip was more like an architectural exploration for me. Quiet, calm, dignified... While walking around inside, at the same time, "How many different faiths have lived side by side in this city?" The question also came to my mind. Because Diyarbakır is not only a culture, but also a coexistence memory. This church in the museum also seems to be part of that memory.

The second church was a more "living" church in the city: the Church of Mar Petyun (Chaldean Catholic). The first thing I noticed when I went here was that the inside was more active. There were more people. You immediately get the feeling of "this place is actively used". Some details already support this: there were sections inside such as order, candles, donation box, rules, wish place.

They asked us for 20 TL at the entrance to this church. Frankly, I asked: "Why do you get paid at the entrance to the church?" They gave a very clear answer: “The municipality does not cover the expenses of this place. We meet its maintenance, cleaning and needs.” This answer made sense to me. Because it is really expensive for a historical building to survive. Sometimes small contributions are needed to keep the door of a place open. Here, too, they said that money was used for the order and maintenance of the church.

The atmosphere inside was really different. Red curtains, icons, cross, some religious visuals... The light was also very impressive. In a corner Hz. There was an arrangement that looked like a statue/figure of the Mary and a small area was prepared in front of it. People approached with respect. This seemed very sincere to me. Because although this place was like a tourist destination, it was also a place of worship.

And one of the things that interested me a lot was the "10 Orders" board. When I saw it, I stopped and read it. Because we usually see such things in movies or books, but it stands in front of you here, and it is written in a very simple expression. When I took a picture of it, I thought, "I want to share this with my Christian friends." It was a really different and beautiful experience to see such a detail in Diyarbakır.

There were also some rules inside the church. For example, being silent, not disturbing the order, not going out to some places. There was also a section with candles and information such as candle price (10 TL) was also visible on it. On the one hand, the "wish place", on the other hand, the donation box... So this place has a daily flow. People come and pray, light candles, leave donations. This makes the place more lively.

These two church trips made me feel like this: You can experience two completely different moods in the same city, even on the same day. While Saint George Church in the museum gives more the feeling of "historical building and architecture"; Mar Petyun Church gives more the feeling of "living faith and active space". One is calmer, one is fuller. One is quieter, the other is more active. But both of them are places that describe the culture and multi-layered structure of Diyarbakır.

If you go to Diyarbakır, you can add these two churches to your list. Especially seeing the traces of different beliefs is very good for those who want to feel not only the stone and soil of the city, but also the story. It was a good experience for me in terms of both learning and thinking.