The Cathedral of Saint James ( hy, Սրբոց Յակոբեանց Վանք Հայոց, he, קתדרלת יעקב הקדוש, ar, كتدرائية القديس جيمس, or Saints Jacobs Armenian Cathedral) is a 12th-century

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

in the

Armenian Quarter The Armenian Quarter ( ar, حارة الأرمن, ''Harat al-Arman''; he, הרובע הארמני, ''Ha-Rova ha-Armeni''; hy, Հայոց թաղ, ) is one of the four sectors of the walled Old City of Jerusalem. Located in the southwestern co ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, near the quarter's entry

Zion Gate Zion Gate ( he, שער ציון, ''Sha'ar Zion'', ar, باب صهيون, ''Bab Sahyun''), also known in Arabic as Bab Harat al-Yahud ("Jewish Quarter Gate") or Bab an-Nabi Dawud ("Prophet David Gate"), is one of the seven historic Gates of the O ...

. The cathedral is dedicated to two of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus:

James, son of Zebedee James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob (Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ, Arabic يعقوب, Hebrew בן זבדי , '' Yaʿăqōḇ'', Latin '' ...

(James the Greater) and James the brother of Jesus (James the Just). It is located near the Church of the Holy Archangels. It is the principal church of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, also known as the Armenian Patriarchate of Saint James. In 1162, it was described as complete by

John of Würzburg John of Würzburg (Latin ''Johannes Herbipolensis'') was a German priest who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the 1160s and wrote a book describing the Christian holy places, the ''Descriptio terrae sanctae'' (Description of the Holy Land) ...

which Nurith Kenaan-Kedar uses to argue that it was built during the reign of

Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem Melisende (1105 – 11 September 1161) was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153, and regent for her son between 1153 and 1161, while he was on campaign. She was the eldest daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, and the Armenian princess ...

Ornamentation

The ceiling is decorated hanging ceramic eggs made in

Kütahya Kütahya () (historically, Cotyaeum or Kotyaion, Greek: Κοτύαιον) is a city in western Turkey which lies on the Porsuk river, at 969 metres above sea level. It is inhabited by some 578,640 people (2022 estimate). The region of Kütahya has ...

. More ceramics from Kütahya appear in the form of tiles in the Chapel of Etchmiadzin. Originally destined for a 1719 attempt to repair the

Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, hy, Սուրբ Հարության տաճար, la, Ecclesia Sancti Sepulchri, am, የቅዱስ መቃብር ቤተክርስቲያን, he, כנסיית הקבר, ar, كنيسة القيامة is a church i ...

they ended up in the Cathedral of Saint James after the plan fell through.

Gallery

File:Cathedral of St. James.JPG, The entry gate to the Armenian Quarter File:AQ IMG 4908.JPG, Entrance of the Cathedral File:Entrance to the Cathedral of Saint James in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem.jpg, Closeup of metalwork at the entrance File:Cathedral of St. James.jpg, Arches and dome from the inside File:Inside St James Armenian Cathedral in Jerusalem.jpg, Another view of the interior File:AQ IMG 4909.JPG, Epitaph and mural at the tomb of Patriarch Abraham, since 1192 File:Altar in Cathedral of St. James.jpg, Altar in Cathedral of St. James (1996) File:St James Jerusalem.jpg, St James Cathedral 1948 File:Stonework at the Cathedral of Saint James in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem.jpg File:Stonework at the Cathedral of Saint James in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem 2.jpg, A

khachkar A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, in ...

File:Stonework at the Cathedral of Saint James in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem 3.jpg, Another khachkar File:Stonework at the Cathedral of Saint James in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem 4.jpg File:Stonework at the Cathedral of Saint James in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem 5.jpg, An ''Amenaprkitch''-style khachkar File:Armenian_Priests.jpg

References

Bibliography

Armenian Patriarchate: official website

External links

* The website of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusale

Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 12th century Armenian Apostolic cathedrals in Israel Armenian Apostolic cathedrals in the State of Palestine Armenian Apostolic churches in Jerusalem Cathedrals in Jerusalem Church buildings with domes Tombs of apostles Cathedrals in the State of Palestine {{OrientalOrthodox-church-stub

Ornamentation

Gallery

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links