Armenian Orthodox Christians who fled sectarian violence in northern Iraq for the comparative security of the Kurdistan Region capital of Erbil can finally pray in their own place of worship. The Church of the Holy Cross opened its doors on April 6 in a special ceremony attended by Armenian Orthodox clergy, including the Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Iraq Avak Asadourian, diplomats, and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials. The KRG paid for the church’s construction at a cost of 2.2 billion IQD ($1,845,000). Four of the Kurdistan Region’s five Armenian Orthodox Churches are in Duhok province. An estimated 600 Armenian families live in the Kurdistan Region – 490 of them in Duhok and 110 in Erbil. Reporting by Payam Sarbast
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