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Church ruins in Salmanaga village not far from Ercis town (Archesh in Armenian)
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The ruin of the church is located in the middle of Kurdish village named Salmanaga (View of the church from the South-West) |
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View of the church from the North, you can see forcing frames on the right. |
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The apse. |
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Church entrance from the west. |
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South inside wall of the church. |
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You can see stones with Urartian cuneiform (may be ancient gravestones) used as a building material for the church |
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Well-preserved fragment of faced wall with Armenian inscriptions on the south side of the church |
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Stone from outer decoration is lying in front of the church. |
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The church inside was faced with perfect cut stones of white and black colours. |
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The side-apse ceiling. |
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View of the church from the North, you can see Lake Van beyond the trees and mountains on opposite shore. |
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View of the church from the North-West and the houses of locals. |
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Crosses right to the entrance. |
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Traveller visiting this place can face several difficulties:
1. Out of two roads guiding to the village one is almost impassable for a car; the other is rather tolerable though not easy to be found. 2. The local Kurds keeps huge wolfhounds, moving all around the place without any restrictions.
However all your problems will be easily compensated by the hospitability of the local inhabitants, who are always ready to do a traveller a favour of any kind.
You will be surely rewarded for all you had to bear on your way with the view of this formerly magnificent church. |
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Western Armenia |
