1. Can you briefly share the history and presence of the Armenian Christian community in Jerusalem?
The Armenian presence in Jerusalem is ancient, with historical roots reaching back to the 1st century BC, during the reign of King Tigran the Great, He expanded the Armenian Kingdom as far as Israel.
However, the foundation of our enduring spiritual presence was established in the 4th century, following Armenia’s adoption of Christianity as its state religion. For centuries, Jerusalem has been not only a place of pilgrimage for Armenians, but also a place of refuge, prayer, service, and spiritual continuity.
Our presence here has survived empires, wars, persecution, displacement, and countless historical upheavals. Before the First World War, the Armenian community numbered approximately 2,000–3,000 people. In the early 1920s, its population grew significantly, reaching approximately 10,000, as thousands of Armenian refugees who had survived the Armenian Genocide and the massacres in Western Armenia, Cilicia, and Anatolia found sanctuary in Jerusalem.
The Armenian Quarter thus became more than a neighborhood. It became a place where survivors rebuilt their lives, where their children were educated, where prayers were offered for those who had perished, and where a wounded people found the strength to preserve its faith, identity, and dignity.
Armenian Convent, Jerusalem
2. What is the mission of the Armenian Church today in the Holy Land?
Our mission is to preserve and serve the historic Christian presence in the Holy Land and to safeguard the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage entrusted to us through the centuries. Through the Armenian Patriarchate and the Armenian Seminary, we educate clergy who will serve not only the local community but Armenians throughout the world.
The Church is both a spiritual home and a guardian of memory. Our responsibility is not simply to preserve ancient stones and buildings. We are called to preserve a living faith, a tradition expressed through prayer, liturgy, language, education, culture, and community life. The Armenians are in the Holy Land because they wanted to be close to the mystery of Christ’s incarnation not only spiritually, but also physically․
We remain committed to maintaining the Armenian “living presence” in the Old City of Jerusalem, so that the voice of Armenian Christianity, our ancient liturgy, and our prayers may continue to rise from this Holy City. We believe that the stones of Jerusalem speak because generations of faithful people have prayed among them. Our task is to ensure that those stones do not become silent.¡
3. How is your community living in the current situation in Jerusalem?
Our community is living with a deep sense of vigilance, but also with faith, resilience, and hope. We are navigating a complex legal and social environment, particularly concerning the preservation of our historic lands and the integrity of the Armenian Quarter. These are not merely questions of property. For us, land is inseparable from memory, identity, community, and the continuity of our presence in Jerusalem.
Despite the pressures we face, the Armenian Quarter remains a close-knit community where families, students, clergy, and religious servants live side-by-side. We draw strength from our history. Our community has endured because previous generations refused to abandon their faith or their responsibility to future generations. We therefore believe that our presence today carries an obligation to those who came before us and to those who will come after us.
We are not here simply because our ancestors once lived in Jerusalem. The members of the Armenian community live ordinary lives, and through their respective professions and work, each of them is involved in the internal life of the local population and the development of the country. We are here because they entrusted us with a mission to remain, to pray, to serve, and to preserve.
Church of St. James, Jerusalem
4. What are the main challenges you face as Christians here today?
One of our most serious challenges is the dispute concerning the “Cows’ Garden” (Goverou Bardez) and the 98-year lease agreement, which is currently being challenged through legal proceedings. For the Armenian community, this issue goes far beyond a question of real estate. The preservation of the Armenian Quarter is directly connected to the survival of a centuries-old Christian community and its living heritage.
Any development that threatens to displace Armenian families or fundamentally change the character of the Quarter raises profound concerns about the future of our community.
We also face incidents of religious intolerance and disrespect. Our clergy and students have, at times, experienced verbal abuse and acts of humiliation, including incidents of being spat upon while walking through the streets. Such acts are painful not because they weaken our faith, but because they remind us how important it is to defend the principle that Jerusalem must remain a city where people of different faiths can live, worship, and walk with dignity.
Our response must not be hatred with hatred. As Christians, we are called to remain faithful to the Gospel, even in difficult circumstances. At the same time, forgiveness does not mean silence in the face of injustice, and peace cannot be built without truth and justice.
5. What message of hope would you like to share with the world from Jerusalem?
Our message from the Holy City is to live with a living faith, to remain faithful to the commandments of our Savior, to persevere on the path of Christian salvation, and to build our own Holy City within our hearts by overcoming sin and through acts of virtue, so that heavenly peace and love may be established there, perpetually illuminated by God’s love and light․
The Armenian people have experienced some of the darkest chapters of human history, yet we continue to pray, to build, to educate our children, and to preserve our faith.
The Armenian community of Jerusalem is a living testimony that suffering does not have the final word. History has taught us that communities can survive when they remain faithful to their identity and when they refuse to surrender hope.
We believe that truth and justice ultimately require courage, patience, and perseverance. We also believe that the international community has a responsibility to listen to the voices of ancient communities whose presence is part of the history and spiritual fabric of Jerusalem. Our hope is not rooted in power. It is rooted in faith.
From Jerusalem, our prayer is that this Holy City may remain a city of peace, a place where Christians, Jews, and Muslims can live with dignity, where sacred places are respected, and where no ancient community is forced to disappear. We remain steadfast in prayer, trusting that even in the darkest moments, a small light can continue to shine.
St. James Armenian Church, Jerusalem
6. Why is it important for pilgrims to visit the Armenian Quarter?
It is important for pilgrims to visit the Armenian Quarter because it is not simply a collection of ancient buildings. It is a living sanctuary of faith, memory, and history. When pilgrims enter the Armenian Quarter, visit the Cathedral of Saint James, hear the ancient Armenian liturgy, and walk through its narrow streets, they encounter a Christian community that has been praying in Jerusalem for many centuries.
The Armenian Quarter also carries the memory of thousands of survivors who found refuge here after the Armenian Genocide. Their stories remind us that Jerusalem has always been more than a destination on a map. For many, it has been a place of refuge and hope.
Pilgrims are therefore not merely visitors. Their presence is a form of solidarity with the “Living Stones” of Jerusalem, the people who continue to pray, serve, teach, and preserve the Christian heritage of the Holy City. We welcome pilgrims not only to see our history, but to pray with us for peace, for justice, for reconciliation, and for the preservation of the Christian presence in Jerusalem.
The Armenian Quarter has survived because generations believed that faith must be lived, not merely remembered. Our prayer is that future generations will inherit not only the stones of Jerusalem, but also the living faith that gives those stones their meaning.
By Blanca Ramirez, Saxum Visitor Center Manager