Revitalizing Tur Abdin: Arkah village opens new community center

ARKAH, Turkey — The Syriac village of Arkah will officially open its new cultural and community center this weekend, reported Arkah News reports. The building project was largely made possible by the financial support of emigrant villagers, organized in the Arkah Reconstruction and Relief Association. For the festive occasion, the Association has sent an open invitation to anyone interested.  

Arkah is home to one of the oldest Syriac communities in the region.   

The new community center is one of several bigger projects in the Syriac village. In 2022 a new Syriac school was built and a pizzeria opened. In 2023 the road connecting the nearby Syriac Orthodox Mor Malke Monastery and the village was restored, and earlier this year villagers restored the water infrastructure.  

As Tur Abdin’s communities continue to invest in their shared future, the new community center in Arkah stands as a symbol of resilience and empowerment, offering a blueprint for similar initiatives across the region.