The Armenian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Interestingly, the Armenians consider their quarter to be part of the Christian Quarter and are opposed to any division of the two quarters.
However, the divide is based on the fact that the Christian Quarter being dominated by Arab Christians, and Armenians neither speak the same language or practice the same sect of Christianity.
It was started when Armenian monks settled in Jerusalem in the 5th century.
However, it wasn’t until the 12th century, around one thousand Armenians moved to Jerusalem with the Crusaders who had explained Jerusalem’s Jewish inhabitants.
According to the 1905 Ottoman census in the Old City, the Armenian Quarter had a population of 382, of which the 121 Armenians comprised less than one-third of the population. The majority (by only six people) was actually Jewish.
The Jews lived in the eastern part of the Armenian Quarter, which later became the western part of the Jewish Quarter.
There was a mass migration of Armenians brought by Missionaries to Israel in 1917 to save them from the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Turks even after the fall of the Ottoman empire.
In 1947, around 1,500 Armenians repatriated to Soviet Armenia and marked the beginning of the long-term decline of the Armenian community of Jerusalem.
Today, the Armenian Quarter, like the Christian Quarter, has very few inhabitants.
While the Armenian Quarter is generally not a major tourist destination, Jaffa Gate is the main entrance to the Old City and is located there.
From this quarter one can easily access the Muslim shuk straight ahead or turn right and follow the road until you reach the Jewish Quarter.
Along this route there are tourist shops that sell items that can make great gifts to bring home from a visit.
What to do here
while there aren’t many tourist attractions in the Armenian Quarter, there are two located near Jaffa Gate.
RAMPARTS WALK
Ramparts Walk offers a unique view of the city of Jerusalem from atop of the Old City walls.
For centuries soldiers walking along the walls’ ramparts, patrolling between the gates and guard towers.
However, in recent years, the path has been renovated and turned into a promenade offering a unique view of Jerusalem inside and outside the walls.
TOWER OF DAVID MUSEUM
The Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem is located in the medieval citadel known as the Tower of David.
The Museum presents Jerusalem’s story. It details the major events in its history beginning with the first evidence of a city in Jerusalem in the second millennium BCE, until the city became the capital of the State of Israel.
In addition, the Citadel itself is a fascinating archaeological site and offers a virtual reality tour.