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The Armenian Quarter
Within the Old City,the quarter lies to the south of Jaffa Gate.Christ Church,opposite the Eastern Gate of the Citadel,was the first Anglican Church in the Ottoman Empire.
The first nation to embrace Christianity in 286 AD,the Armenians claim a presence in Jerusalem since the first century when an Armenian battalion fought un- der Titus.
A town within a town,the walled compound contains St.James Cathedral,the Convent of the Olive Tree, the Armenian Patriarch residence,a monastery as well as beautiful Armenian ceramic shops and tasty Arme- nian meat pies (sfeehah)and sausages (soujok).Gate is closed at 21:00 every night.
St.James Cathedral is one of the most gorgeous in Jerusalem.On rich carpets stand carved thrones and lecterns of tortoise-shell and mother-of-pearl.On walls and pillars are tiles of blue and green faience or glazed earthenware.Suspended from the domed roof are gold and silver lamps alternating with porcelain ostrich eggs. Visitors allowed during service,15:00-15:30 daily but half-hour earlier on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Convent of the Olive Tree is where,according to the New Testament,Jesus was taken for judgement before being sent to the High Priest Caiaphas.The olive tree,to which Jesus was supposedly tied,is shown outside the convent.Though very old,it mys- teriously produced olives in 1972,for the first time in Armenian memory.The church was built in the 5th century and is beautifully decorated in Armenian style with gilded carvings,old paintings and tiled walls and pillars.Best visit time is 8:00-9:00.