St Sarkis ( hy, Սուրբ Սարգիս եկեղեցի) is an Armenian Apostolic

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 * C ...

and a Grade II* listed building in Iverna Gardens, Kensington, London. It was constructed in 1922–23 by

Calouste Gulbenkian Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian (, Western hy, Գալուստ Կիւլպէնկեան; 23 March 1869 – 20 July 1955), nicknamed "Mr Five Per Cent", was a British-Armenian businessman and philanthropist. He played a major role in making the petrole ...

as a memorial to his parents, and the architect was Arthur Davis. It is the only church in England to have been built in the traditional Armenian style. Its design is inspired by the 13th century freestanding bell tower of

Haghpat Monastery Haghpat Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank ( hy, Հաղպատավանք), is a medieval monastery complex in Haghpat, Armenia, built between the 10th and 13th century. Location The location of Haghpat Monastery was chosen so that it overlooks ...

. It is the seat of the Diocese of the United Kingdom of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

History

Saint Sargis Armenian church in London-top of the entrance

The construction of the church was funded by

, an Ottoman-born Armenian oil magnate. He agreed to finance it with the precondition to dedicate it to his parents, Sarkis and Takouhi. Besides being his father's name, Sarkis is also the name of one of Armenia's most celebrated saints—

Saint Sarkis the Warrior Saint Sargis the General or Sergius Stratelates ( hy, Սուրբ Սարգիս Զորավար, Sourb Sargis Zoravar; died 362/3) is revered as a martyr and military saint in the Armenian Apostolic Church. The name Sargis (Sarkis) is the Armenian for ...

. The church was designed by

Arthur Joseph Davis Arthur Joseph Davis (21 May 1878, Kensington, London – 22 July 1951, Kensington, London) was an English architect. Davis studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris in the 1890s. He was the co-partner in the firm ''Mewes & Davis'', with ...

and built by Holloway Brothers. Its construction began in February 1922 and it was consecrated on 11 January 1923. The church was expanded twice; first in 1937 a

baptistery In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptismal ...

was added to the north side along with a new entrance, and, in 1950, a sacristy was added in the south-east side of the church. Catholicos

Vazgen I Vazgen I also Vazken I of Bucharest, (), born Levon Garabed Baljian ( hy, Լևոն Կարապետ Աբրահամի Պալճյան; September 20, 1908 – August 18, 1994) was the Catholicos of All Armenians between 1955 and 1994, for a total of 3 ...

visited the church in 1978 and 1983.

Architecture

The church follows traditional Armenian church architecture. It is modeled after the freestanding bell tower of

, built in 1245. The exterior, similar to the Haghpat bell tower, has three stages/levels. The church has been described as an "exotic eastern edifice" by ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...

''.''

'', Volume 216, 1965, pag
344
"...the Armenian church of St Sarkis. The church is the only one of its kind in Britain, an exotic eastern edifice, raising its unlikely head in Iverna Gardens, Kensington." It was built in Portland stone and has a

Greek cross The Christian cross, with or without a figure of Christ included, is the main religious symbol of Christianity. A cross with a figure of Christ affixed to it is termed a ''crucifix'' and the figure is often referred to as the ''corpus'' (La ...

plan. The entrance has an English inscription recording its dedication to Gulbenkian's parents "in the Armenian Era 1372." The altarpiece contains a painting of Virgin and Child with gilded relief carving of angles in the gable made by the

Bromsgrove Guild of Applied Arts The Bromsgrove Guild of Applied Arts (1898–1966) was a company of modern artists and designers associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement, founded by Walter Gilbert. The guild worked in metal, wood, plaster, bronze, tapestry, glass and ...

. There are also sculptures of Gulbenkian family members inside the church.

Heritage designation

The church was listed as a

Grade II* In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

building on 16 January 1981, which classified it as a "particularly important building of more than special interest."

References

{{Dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church Churches completed in 1923 Churches in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 1923 establishments in the United Kingdom Grade II* listed churches in London Armenian Apostolic churches in the United Kingdom Arthur Joseph Davis buildings Kensington