Historic · Merkez, Elazığ
Church of the Virgin Mary
One of Anatolia's oldest churches, embedded in the rock of Harput Castle.
- History
- Faith tourism
Image coming soon
The Church of the Virgin Mary (also called the Red Church or the Syriac Church) stands east of Harput Castle, with the castle's rock forming its western wall. Thought to have been built around 179 AD, it was first used by pagans and later converted into a church by Syriac (Jacobite) Christians. The roughly 20-by-8-metre building has four sections, and the wish-stone wall in the second section draws visitors' attention.