URFA – The single Assyrian church in Urfa, Reji Church (1861) was started to use as culture center, which ride on Eyyübiye Municipality and Harran University’s Seminary Foundation as well.

Urfa was a city of %55 populated non-Muslim until 1945 but the city gradually had populated Sunni-Muslim. Besides that non-Muslim colors and its construction is destroyed or transformed.

Reji Church (Also known as St. Petrus and St. Paulus Church) is last church, which was transformed to culture center, and a foundation belongs Harran University after it had been restored.

According to Church’s inscription, Church had been built by Assyrians period of Patrick Second Jacob and Metropolitan Bishop St. Gregorious in 1861.Church had been built in commemoration of two Jesus’ apostles. After Assyrians were forced to migrate to Aleppo in 1924, the church was seized by Turkish State and had granted to Monopoly Administer for transforming as tobacco factory.


In this politic direction numerous churches transformed to mosques in city center and its counties.

Fırfırlı Church is one of these construction which had been transformed to mosque and named “İyad Bin Ganem” Mosque. Fırfırlı Church is important for Christians because Varak’s Cross had been brought there in 1092.

some list of churches which had been transformed to mosque in Urfa ;

St. John Church - Selahattin Eyyübi Mosque
Mother Mary Church – Halil-u Rahman Mosque
Red Church – Ulu Cami