Mar Petyun Chaldean Church, Chaldean Catholic church in Sur, Turkey.
Mar Petyun Church is a Chaldean Catholic place of worship in Sur built from black basalt stone with intricate carved details adorning its walls. The building features a distinctive architectural pattern with four-legged supports that echo traditional minaret proportions and structure the design.
Construction began in 1681, marking the establishment of this Chaldean Catholic place of worship in the Diyarbakır region. The building has remained a site of continuous religious practice through successive periods of Ottoman and Turkish governance.
The church holds meaning as a center for the Chaldean Catholic community, whose members have worshipped here for centuries while maintaining their Eastern Catholic traditions. The interior decorations and religious objects visible today reflect how this denomination practices its faith differently from other Christian groups.
The building opens its doors at regular times for those wishing to visit or attend services. Staff members can provide guided explanations of the architecture and the religious importance of the space to interested visitors.
The building merges Christian design traditions from the Middle East with materials and construction methods found locally in Turkey. This blend demonstrates how craftspeople adapted architectural practices from different traditions to create something specific to this place.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.