One of the largest churches in the Middle East has been consecrated in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
The church was opened last week in Ainkawa, according to the Rudaw news service. It can seat more than 1,000 people at a time.
So far only the prayer hall has been completed. However, Khalid Jamal, head of Christian Affairs department at the Kurdistan Regional Government religious affairs ministry told Rudaw: 'When finished this will be one of the biggest such projects in the Middle East. It can accommodate 1,300 parishioners at one time.'
Among the church's congregation will be refugees driven from their homes in Mosul and elsewhere in Iraq and Syria by the depredations of Islamic State.
Miriam Sileman, a woman from Syria, told Rudaw: 'I'm a Syrian refugee. I now live here. I'm very happy about this church and I'll always come here to pray.'
The foundation stone for the building was laid by the KRG religious affairs ministry in 2009 and building started in 2013.
'Iraqi Christians see Kurdistan as a peaceful place for themselves,' said Bishop Bashar Matti. 'Building this church with support from the Kurdish government is a message that shows there is a link with and support for Christians.'
More than 2 million refugees and internally displaced persons have found refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan, representing around 28 per cent of the region's total population.
