Turkey's Temple Images

Relief carvings and deep blue frescoes of biblical saints and scenes inside the Akdamar church, one of the most precious remnants of Armenian culture 1,000 years ago, are seen after Turkey completed its restoration in Lake Van in eastern Turkey.

The church, perched on a rocky island in a vast lake, has become a modern symbol of the divisions and strained efforts to reconcile between Turks and Armenians whose history of bloodshed drives their troubled relationship.

The church will showcase Turkey's tentative steps to improve ties with its ethnic Armenian minority, as well as neighboring Armenia with a ceremony

AP