Church of the Holy Mother of God in Aintab

The Church of the Holy Mother of God in Aintab was founded in 1892. According to the source, it was designed by Sarkis Balyan, architect to Sultan Abdul Hamid II. In 1915 up to 32 000 Armenians of Aintab, almost the entire Christian population of 36 000, were deported to Syrian towns, including Deir ez-Zor. The church was sealed on 22 August 1915; its contents were moved to a large stable and sold at auction.

In 1920 (according to other data, in 1930) the church was turned into a prison, and in 1984 into the Kurtuluş Mosque.

The old postcard bears the French inscription “Aintab (Turkey) – Town, Church and Citadel”. It shows the church built of two-coloured stone, with a windowed dome and a bell tower, and behind it the town and the citadel on a hill.