Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem

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The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, also known as the Armenian Patriarchate of Saint James, is the autonomous, self-governing part of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It operates under the spiritual oversight of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, but runs its own affairs.

Leadership and governance
Archbishop Nourhan Manougian has been the 97th Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem since January 24, 2013. He leads together with a seven-member synod elected by the St. James Brotherhood. He succeeded Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, who died in 2012 after 22 years in office.

History and role
The Armenian Church began appointing its own bishops in Jerusalem after the Muslim conquest in 638. Over the centuries the patriarchate grew in influence and property. During World War I, survivors of the Armenian genocide found shelter in the Jerusalem convents, and at that time the Armenian community in the city numbered about 25,000. Political and economic instability since then reduced their numbers. Today, most Armenians in Jerusalem live around the St. James Monastery; smaller communities exist in Jaffa, Haifa, Nazareth, and the Palestinian territories.

Calendar and culture
Jerusalem Armenians use the Old Julian calendar, unlike the rest of the Armenian Church, which uses the Gregorian calendar.

Land, buildings, and cultural work
Over the centuries the patriarchate expanded its holdings and buildings. In the 17th century it enlarged the St. James Monastery; around 1415 it purchased the olive grove on the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane. The patriarchate gained rights to the Golgotha Chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and acquired the area known as Second Golgotha. It has also supported liturgy in the afternoon processions at Golgotha.

The 19th and early 20th centuries saw significant cultural and educational growth: the Armenians rebuilt and renovated parts of the quarter, opened Jerusalem’s first printing press (1833) and a theological seminary (1843), established the city’s first photographic studio (1866), and started its first Armenian newspaper. Wealthy Armenians from the diaspora, including Calouste Gulbenkian, funded projects such as the Gulbenkian Library, which houses important Armenian manuscripts.

Community and administration
By the 1920s Armenians made up about 8% of Jerusalem’s Christians, with thousands living in the Holy Land. After 1948 and the 1967 war, many Armenians left the Armenian Quarter, and the community became smaller but remains active. The Patriarchate and its properties lie at the heart of Armenian life in the region, and it is one of the three major guardians of Christian holy places in the Holy Land, along with the Greek Orthodox and Latin patriarchates.

Jurisdiction and compound
The Patriarchate oversees the Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) communities in Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, with several churches and properties in the region. Inside the Patriarchate compound are the St. James Monastery, the patriarch’s residence and offices, a printing press, the Sion periodical, and a Bible and Armenian-language publishing presence. The complex has its own curfew and security measures, with doors typically closed at 10 p.m. The compound also includes private Armenian residences and, nearby, the Monastery of Saint Saviour and an Armenian cemetery.

The Armenian Patriarchate today
The patriarchate continues to play a key religious, cultural, and social role for Armenians in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, maintaining ties with the Mother See in Etchmiadzin while managing its own affairs and properties. For more information, the official website is armenian-patriarchate.com.