Of the four quarters of Jerusalem's Old City (the other three are the Jewish Quarter, Muslim Quarter, and Christian Quarter), the Armenian Quarter is the most intriguing. As the first country to recognise Christianity as their official religion, the Armenians have played an important role in Jerusalem since the early days of Christianity. Today, their influence has waned, and the Armenian community here has shrunk considerably, making this the most peaceful corner of the Old City. Don't miss a wander through the narrow lanes here and a visit to the quarter's churches, which are some of the oldest surviving chapels in Jerusalem.
St. Mark's Chapel
Traditionally believed to occupy the house site of St. Mark's mother (Mary of Jerusalem), where St. Peter took refuge after escaping the prison cell he'd been confined to by Herod Agrippa I, St. Mark's Chapel serves as a place of worship for Jerusalem's tiny Syriac Orthodox community. More traditions point to this being the true site of the Last Supper and being built over the site where the Virgin Mary was baptised. Whatever you believe, this is one of Jerusalem's oldest churches, dating from the 12th century, and its richly decorated interior is not to be missed. Just inside the church to the right, is an inscription in Aramaic, and in the nave is an icon of the Virgin, which the monks ascribe to Luke the Evangelist (who is believed in the Eastern Church to have painted the earliest, and therefore most authentic, icon of the Virgin Mary). There is also an ornately-carved patriarchal throne.
Hours: Open Mon-Sat 7am-noon & 2pm-5pm
Admission: Free
Location: Ararat Street
St. James Cathedral
Dating back to the 12th century and the time of the Crusades, St. James Cathedral has associations with two Jameses who were saints. A chapel to the left of the entrance is believed to mark the spot where St. James the Great (son of Zebedee) was beheaded in AD 44 on the orders of Herod Agrippa I. According to traditional accounts, his body was then transported by his disciples to Spain, where it later became the center of the cult of St. James (Santiago) in the city, which bears his name, Santiago de Compostela. Below the high altar is the tomb of the other St James, the first bishop of Jerusalem who was stoned to death in AD 62. On the south side of the church, a doorway leads into the Etchmiadzin Chapel in which stones from Sinai andMount Tabor are preserved.
Hours: Open for services only (daily 6am-7.30am & Sat-Sun 2pm-3.30pm)
Admission: Free
Location: Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate Road
Armenian Compound
The fortress-like Armenian Compound is the seat of the patriarchate, a hospice, a monastery, and a residential area all rolled into one. This is where refugees from Turkey arrived after the Armenian genocide, and the community living behind the gate here once numbered more than 1000. The museum documents the history of the Armenian people, including liturgical vestments and artwork down through the centuries as well as approximately 4,000 illuminated manuscripts from the 10th to 17th centuries.
Hours: Vary
Admission: Free
Location: Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate Street
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