Jerusalem: the Armenian presence

Those who have visited the old city of Jerusalem are aware that it is divided into four quarters: the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter and the Jewish Quarter; all surrounded by the 16th-century walls built by the Ottoman Turks. The Armenian Quarter is in the southwest quadrant, as coloured blue in the map below:


White Fathers

Unlike the other three quarters, which bristle with commercial activity and aggressive vendors openly pursuing potential customers, the Armenian Quarter is very quiet indeed, consisting mostly of ecclesiastical, monastic and educational institutions attached to the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Entering the city via the Zion Gate, one turns left and then follows the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate Road as it curves right and heads north towards David Street and the Christian Quarter. Posted on the ancient stone walls along the street, one sees more than one copy of the following map, showing the locations associated with the Armenian Genocide, whose memory is nurtured here.


cilicia.com

When we were there in 1995, Nancy and I dined at an Armenian restaurant on the east side of the road and slightly below ground level. That was the one locus of commercial activity we detected.

The Armenians also have a share in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the better attested sites associated with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Although it is shared by the Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Armenian, Syrian, Coptic and Ethiopian churches, it would be inaccurate to call it an ecumenical endeavour, as the ecclesiastical bodies have long quarrelled over their respective custodial rights.

Finally, during our visit to nearby Bethlehem our attempt to see the grotto in the Church of the Nativity was prevented by a group of Armenian priests who were chanting the liturgy in the spot reputed to be the birthplace of Jesus. We thought we would be able to wait them out and see the grotto. However, they kept on chanting, outlasting our patience. We left to see other things. We never did see the grotto, except from the outside.

The Armenian Apostolic Church dissented from the decision of the Council of Chalcedon of 451 with respect to the person of Christ. Along with the Copts and Ethiopians, they are often called monophysites by Catholics, Orthodox and heirs of the Reformation.