Thread by @armenian_truth, A thread on the history of the Armenian community in Jerusalem and [...]

A thread on the history of the Armenian community in Jerusalem and the Holy Land

A thread on the history of the Armenian community in Jerusalem and the Holy Land

2) The Armenian community in Jerusalem is the oldest Armenian community outside of Armenia(Armenian highlands and the Caucasus).

3. The first Armenians started arriving to Jerusalem around the 4th century AD. While Christianity had had reached Armenia as early as the 1st century AD, as a result of the visits of Jesus’s apostles/disciples Thaddeus and Bartholomew.

4. The first ancient Armenian church was built in 4th century AD, but was destroyed during the crusades of the 11th century or 12th centuries.

5. The old city of Jerusalem is separated into 4 distinct Quarters: Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Armenian.Though formally separate from Greek Orthodox and Latin (Catholic) Christians, the Armenians consider their quarter to be part of the Christian Quarter.

6. The three Christian patriarchates of Jerusalem and the government of Armenia have publicly expressed their opposition to any political division of the two quarters.

7. The Armenian Quarter is located in the southwestern corner of Jerusalem's Old City.The quarter can be accessed through the Zion Gate and Jaffa Gate, and is not far from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (site of Jesus’s crucifixion, as well as the Tomb of the Virgin Mary.

8. The St James Armenian Cathedral was established in the 7th century AD. though the current version of the building dates to 12th century AD. It is the seat of the Armenian Patriarchy of Jerusalem, which is the representative church of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

9. The Armenian community has this been in this region all throughout history, as the holy land swapped sovereignty between different empires.The Byzantine and Ottoman eras, as well as the British Mandate of Palestine where marked by more immigration of Armenians.

10. Prior to World War I, there were 2000-3000 Armenians in Jerusalem. Then after the Armenian Genocide, more Armenians started migrating to the British Mandate of Palestine, and the community reached its peak size of 20,000.

11. Armenian schools, community centers, and stores were established throughout the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem.

12. St Toros Church is another Armenian cathedral, that dates back to 1270 AD but renovated to its current state in 1727.

13. 1.The other church located in the Armenian quarter is the Church of the Holy Archangels (Սրբոց Հրեշտակապետաց եկեղեցի, Srbots Hreštakapetats yekeğetsi; Deir Al Zeitoun) was founded in the 12th century probably on the ruins of an ancient church in the 4th century.

14.Non-Armenian churches located in the Armenian quarter include: •The Syriac Orthodox St. Mark's Monastery is located on Ararat St.The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George, with monastery is also located here.

15. Armenian seminary school in the quarter is The Alex and Marie Manoogian Seminary (Ալեքս եւ Մարի Մանուկեան Ժառանգաւորաց Վարժարան) was founded in 1975 through financing of Armenian-American businessman and philanthropist Alex Manoogian.

16. Sts. Holy Translators' School (Սրբոց թարգմանչաց վարժարան, Srbots t'argmančats varžaran) contains a kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools with a total of around 150 students (according to a report from 2000).

17. Armenian cultural centers include: The St. James Press (տպարան Սրբոց Յակոբեանց, tparan Srbots Hakobeants) was founded in 1833.

18. Helen and Edward Mardigian Museum of Armenian Art and Culture was opened in 1969. Its exhibits consist of historical and religious artifacts, such as rugs, coins, copper cauldrons, ceramic tiles, a map, a replica of Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, etc.

19.Calouste Gulbenkian Library (Կիւլպէնկեան Մատենադարան), founded in 1925 through financing of British-Armenian businessman Calouste Gulbenkian. 1932, it is considered "one of the world's most comprehensive Armenian intellectual resource centers" with its 100,000 books.

20. Toros Manuscript Library, founded in 1897, holds 3,890 inventoried and cataloged Armenian manuscripts, and it isthe second largest in the world, after the Matenadaran in Yerevan, Armenia.

21. The Armenian community in Jerusalem has been sadly decreasing through the years. Many immigrated to other countries: Armenia, Lebanon, USA, etc.

22. The current community is numbered at about 1500-2000, and the schools, museums and churches are still operating fully. There are 50-60 Armenian monks and priests living within the monastery walls, as well as 700 members of the Armenian Apostolic church community(Vanketsis).

23.The lack of a longstanding political solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict for Jerusalem has been cited as the main cause of the decrease in the number of Armenians in the Old City, which fell by almost half from 1,598 in 1967 to 790 in 2006.

24. The Armenian community has hoped for a peaceful and lasting settlement to the conflict for all sides.

25. Here are photos of Armenian monks and members of the patriarchy conducting mass and sermons at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the christian quarter, a church which they shared alongside the other Christian groups.

26. More photos of the Armenian Quarter. This Football field was built on the donation of professional Italian footballer Gianluigi Buffon.

27. More photos

28. The holy and sacred olive Tree of the Armenian quarter believed to be a tree from which Jesus of Nazareth himself ate from.

29. More photos

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34. I am very grateful that I had the honor to visit the Armenian Quarter and Jerusalem& the Holy Land, a few years ago.The pilgrimage to Jerusalem was the most important moment of my life. I met the priests and monks there and attended their sermons at St James.