Mancılık Church, Once a Local “Central Bank,” Plundered by Treasure Hunters, Awaits Restoration

The Mancılık Church, located in the village of Mancılık in the Kangal district of Sivas, and whose history is unknown, has become a target for treasure hunters. The historical structure, which has been plundered by treasure hunters for years, is awaiting restoration to be brought into tourism.

According to the villagers, the church once served as a “Central Bank” for other churches in the region. The Mancılık Church, an Armenian-built stone building, still stands despite some of its stones being removed. The church, where various religious symbols are found on its walls, has been subjected to extensive excavations, especially in its foundation and surrounding areas. It is hoped that the church will be restored and brought into faith tourism.

Özkan Baltacı, the head of Mancılık village, stated that the church was “a place that served as a Central Bank for the surrounding churches for centuries” and said: “The current state of the church is dilapidated. We expect the authorities to restore it and bring it into tourism. If it is restored, it can provide an additional income for our citizens and contribute to our village. Its current state is far from what it was 30 years ago. It needs to be restored as soon as possible to contribute to both our state and our village.”

Ayşe Dallıkavak, a villager, said, “From what I heard from my mother-in-law, it used to be much more beautiful. It had wooden flooring and pictures on the walls. We want it to be restored and brought into our village.”

Yılmaz Balta, who was born and raised in Mancılık village, said, “This church used to be very beautiful. We used to play inside when we were children. Treasure hunters deformed it a lot. People come and break the stones. There is nothing inside the stones, but people come with hearsay. We have never heard of anyone finding anything and getting rich here. We want the authorities to intervene as soon as possible. It would be restored and brought into tourism for both our village and Sivas.”

Support is expected from the authorities to restore the Mancılık Church, which has historical and cultural significance, and to pass it on to future generations and contribute to the region’s tourism.