New cultural center inaugurated in Turabdin

The village of Arkah (Turkish: Üçköy) held a major celebration on Sunday, 17 August, to mark the official opening of its new cultural hall. The building is designed to serve several community purposes, including functioning as a venue for weddings and parties. It can accommodate several hundred people and is equipped with facilities for preparing and serving food.

The hall represents a new chapter for the Assyrian village, which continues to grow and remains the most populous among the Assyrian villages of Turabdin. The opening meets a rising demand for larger community events and gatherings, as Arkah, as well as the neighboring Assyrian villages, experience steady growth, with several recent engagements and marriages taking place.

"We must work hand in hand"

Arkah is the only village in the Turabdin Region that was never fully deserted during the upheavals of recent history. It also boasts the most active diaspora associations working to help the village prosper again. These Arkah diaspora associations have played a key role in supporting the construction of the new hall.

Speaking in Assyrian during the inauguration, Robil Gergin d’Beth Cipo, head of the Arkah Association in Germany, said: “It’s thanks to the brave souls who never left, who stayed and kept this place alive. It’s thanks to them that we are here today.” His words honored the enduring spirit of those who remained in Arkah despite the challenges of the PKK–Turkey war and other hardships.

He added: “We have to work hand in hand as a nation to safeguard our history, our heritage, our land, and our villages, in order to once again live in our homeland.”