Historic Syriac Orthodox building housing clergy in Turkey converted to hotel

URHOY, Turkey — The Kurtuluş area in Urhoy (Şanlıurfa), Turkey, once a vibrant home to the Syriac Orthodox community until 1924, has seen its historical heritage under threat. In a recent controversial move, Turkish authorities have converted a historic priest’s house belonging to the Syriac Orthodox Church into a hotel to attract tourists.

Despite its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, Kurtuluş has been transformed into a tourist hotspot, with numerous old houses seized and renovated for tourist accommodation. One such house, which served Syriac Orthodox priests for 800 years, has been turned into a hotel featuring two floors and 11 rooms. The cost of staying in these rooms is 8,000 Turkish liras per night, while a night’s stay in the nuns’ quarters costs 5,000 liras.

This act is part of a broader pattern of violations against the heritage sites of the Syriac Orthodox Church and other Christian communities in Turkey. Churches, schools, and archaeological sites face ongoing threats due to inadequate protection measures, raising concerns about the preservation of the cultural and historical legacy of these communities.