Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem

armenian quarter of jerusalem
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"Armenian Quarter"
Armenian Patriarchate Road, main road in the Armenian Quarter. © Raffi Kojian 1996

Jerusalem is one of the coolest cities I have ever seen. The alleyways, the courtyards, the markets, the ancient history, the Jerusalem stone... and of course the religion. The Armenian presence here is ancient, it began as soon as the first Armenian Christians began making pilgrimages soon after the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus settled in Armenia to convert it. The two focal points of the Armenian presence are the St James Cathedral, in the heart of the Armenian Quarter, and the portions of the Holy Sepulcher that belong to the Armenian Church. The Holy Sepulchre is an amazing church and you should explore the whole thing from the top... which is an Ethiopian Monastery, to the bottom, which is an Armenian Basement Chapel where the cross was supposed to have been found. Also on the roof I just have to mention is a stairwell that takes you to a well, I do not know how that works exactly, but it is worth discovering I think... we just stumbled upon it. Now, before you even enter the church, by the entrance, you will see some Armenian graffiti carved into the stone. Then when you enter directly in front of you is the stone Jesus was prepared for the grave on. To the right is a stairwell leading to the stone that Jesus' crucifix was placed. If you look across that balcony there is another one that is closed to the general public. It is the location of an Armenian chapel. To the left of Jesus' tomb is an Armenian souvenir room. Pick up some incense, some Armenian crosses, etc. If you go way to the right of the church you will see a descending stairwell into the Armenian basement chapel. It is next to the spot where Jesus' cross was found. There are other Armenian things in the church, but I either cannot remember them, or would rather not post them. If you want a tour or anything, ask the Armenian guy in the souvenir shop if someone could show you around, explain things to you... they were so helpful with me I was nearly overwhelmed. The St. James Cathedral in the Armenian Quarter is a great church in a city of churches. It is filled with lamps and history. Be sure to stay after the service and ask to be shown around! This is the only way to see everything, or else you get less than half of it. Later you can go to the Armenian museum, which is rather small and very unimpressive, but if you have an hour to kill or are unfamiliar with things Armenian it is really cheap and would be worth it for you. There really isn't too much else for the public in the Armenian Quarter, a couple of souvenir shops and eateries. The thing the Armenians are well known for are their tiles. There are Armenian tile shops all over the city, and they sell all sorts of traditional tile as well as custom signs. They make all the street signs in the old city out of ceramic. There are also other Armenian sites in the city. The Armenian Catholic Patriarchate, in the Muslim quarter, is also one of the stations of the cross. Well, if all this hasn't convinced you to go I don't know what will.