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The 18th century Armenian Surp (Saint) Minas Church in the city of Erzurum in eastern Turkey now serves as a dumpsite, Ermenihaber reported.

The half-ruined church located in Gezköy neighbourhood was listed as a historical monument in 2010, which entails that the building was to be protected by the Turkish authorities, but the reality is different.

In addition to turning into a landfill, the church is also repeatedly attacked by treasure hunters, who have dug holes in the building. Some attackers have also erased the frescoes inside the church.

According to the local residents, the municipality dumps construction waste collected from the districts in the church area. If continued, the church may soon be covered with piles of garbage.

In 2016, the owner of the church, Sabri Ergin said the municipality had threatened to demolish the church if it were not restored. The owner says he has applied to a number of structures to have the church restored, but has received no response so far.

The municipality, in turn, claims that Ergin’s permission is required to restore the church, but he allegedly refuses to give it.