Prapert (Pirepürt)
(Currently called Günyamaç)
Photo Credit: Maggie Blanck
CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE A 4 MINUTE VIDEO
OF THE TINY HAMLET FORMERLY KNOWN AS PRAPERT
The Melikian family lived for generations in the village of Prapert, now known as Günyamaç. Located in the Hafik district of the Sivas province, the village is a 10 hour walk from the city of Sivas.
Nestled in a valley, surrounded by mountains full of caves, Günyamaç is now home to only 94 people. In 1985, the population was 498 people.
A Turkish source has this to say about the village:
Günyamaç village is 3 km away from Hafik and a new village settlement has been formed other than the old place of the village. It is estimated that the village was founded in the 1800s, and it is understood from the church in the old village place where our non-Muslim citizens lived during the years when the province was established.
Günyamaç village, formerly known as Pirepüt, once reached a size of 100 households. However, first in the 1950s and then in the 1980s, he migrated to big cities, especially Istanbul, due to economic inadequacies.
PRAPERT IS VERY SMALL, PROTECTED ACROSS THE NORTH BY ROCKY MOUNTAINS
RUINS OF SOORP TOROS CHURCH
The Turkish website that posted these photos had this description of the old Armenian church:
It is thought that the first church of the village dates back to the year 1800. The current state of the church is being destroyed and devastated. The church is made of salt stone in three naves, close to the square. The interior of the church, the roof covered with wooden lines supported by eight wooden poles placed on the stone base, is covered with soil on the corners adjacent to the body side walls. There are two nartheses on both sides of the semicircular abscess. The church was largely destroyed due to illegal excavations, some of its walls were destroyed and neglected. There are stones with cross motifs that have been largely erased on the walls of the inner and outer body. (Source: Sivas Provincial Culture and Tourism Director)
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PRAPERT TODAY
This news video covers a tree-planting project in Gunyamac. The introductory images are of the town of Sivas, then next 20 minutes of the video features a tour of the village of Prapert.