After almost one year of renovation works, the St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic church of Cairo opened up its doors once again to reveal the beauty of this genuine Armenian architectural edifice, one of the most exquisite Armenian churches of the diaspora.
On this Sunday morning of 25th November 2007, the masses, gathered at our 80 year old beloved church, witnessed the re-opening and official blessing of our revered house of worship which underwent massive renovation works consisting of a complete indoor and outdoor infrastructure restoration.
The restoration works which were supervised by architect Nairy Hampigian, included the walls, the ceiling, the floor, the furniture and all the artwork with their fine details. The renovations which amounted to one million two hundred thousand Egyptian pounds resulted in a masterwork which enhanced the beauty, holiness and sanctity of this exquisite Armenian church; the pride of all Egyptian Armenians.
The St. Gregory the Illuminator church was inaugurated in 1928, and it continues to be the symbol of strength and faith of the Egyptian Armenian community.
ADDITIONAL READING
The works done:
The outer side:
– The whole outer surface of the church was restored to its original state through micro-sandblasting.
– Replacement of broken stones.
– Restoration of the gypsum decorative elements of the facade and correction of previous malrestoration.
– Rain insulation and collection system recovery.
Infrastructure and basement:
– Reinforcement and renovation of all basic structural elements (columns, walls, etc.).
– Installation of an aeration system around the church basement and insulation and securing of an efficient ventilation system.
Inside the church:
– Basic change of all the electrical system and cabling which were untouched since 1928.
– Conservation and restoration of all mural paintings through minute cleaning and retouching.
– Restoration of all marble elements of the floor and walls in addition to painting.
– Restoration of the columns.
– Replacement, correction and restoration of all stained glass elements (broken parts and malrestored parts).
The works were supervised through Dr. Nairy Hagop Hampigian, and the conservation works were planned and executed by the “Hampigian – Ibrashi Architecture and Heritage Management” group.
Source: “AGBU Egypt”, Cairo, 25 November 2007
http://www.agbuegypt.com/Press-Details.aspx?ID=198
Photos by AGBU Egypt website and Ani Boghossian (click to enlarge):
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