Armenian Quarter

Somewhat shuttered behind high walls and enormous wooden doors, the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem plods along unnoticed, as it has for centuries. If the very presence of an Armenian Quarter strikes you as a bit odd, consider that Armenia was the first nation to officially embrace Christianity when their king converted in AD 303. They established themselves in Jerusalem sometime in the following century.

The Kingdom of Armenia disappeared at the end of the 4th century and Jerusalem was adopted as their spiritual capital. They have had an uninterrupted presence here ever since.

The core of the quarter is actually one big monastic compound. The Armenian presence in Jerusalem was traditionally purely religious but a large secular element arrived earlier this century following Turkish persecution. That persecution escalated in 1915 to an attempted genocide in which over 1.5 million Armenians were killed.

The community today, which numbers about 1500, is still very insular, having its own schools, library, seminary and residential quarters discreetly tucked away behind stone parapets. The gates to this city within a city are closed early each evening.