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Archbishop Mesrob II Mutafyan, the 84th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, was laid to rest on Sunday, March 17, as many political and religious figures and Armenian nationals from overseas bid their final farewells to him, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

As the Christian churches’ formalized Sunday service took place before the ceremony in St. Mary Armenian Church in Istanbul’s Kumkapi neighborhood, many prayed for Mutafyan’s eternal rest.

The archbishop’s coffin was rested on a catafalque for mourning visitors to pay him their respects after the prayers and was referred to the Sisli Armenian cemetery in an area designated for patriarchs for burial.

Many senior officials from ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) including the party’s spokesperson Omer Celik and its Istanbul mayoral candidate Binali Yildirim, along with the presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin attended the funeral service.

Patriarch Mesrob II died on March 8 at Istanbul’s Holy Savior Armenian Hospital where he was receiving treatment, at the age of 63.

He had been incapacitated since 2008 with an early onset of dementia.

Preparations for the election of a new patriarch for Turkey are expected to begin after a 40-day mourning period.