Cathedral of Saint James, Jerusalem

The Cathedral of Saint James (Armenian: Սրբոց Յակոբեանց Վանք Հայոց, Hebrew: קתדרלת יעקב הקדוש, Arabic: كتدرائية القديس جيمس, or Saint Jacob's Armenian Cathedral) is a 12th-century Armenian church in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem, near the quarter's entry Zion Gate. The cathedral is dedicated to two of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus: James, son of Zebedee (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 which Nurith Kenaan-Kedar uses to argue that it was built during the reign of Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem.

Ornamentation

The ceiling is decorated hanging ceramic eggs made in Kütahya. 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, they ended up in the Cathedral of Saint James after the plan fell through.

Gallery

• Armenian stonework on the walls

See also

• List of Armenian Patriarchs of Jerusalem
• Hethum II, King of Armenia

References

Bibliography

• Armenian Patriarchate: official website

Further reading

• Antonius, G.; Nomico, Ch. A. (1924). "A Brief Account of the Painted tile Work in the Armenian Cathedral of St James". Jerusalem 1920-1922. London: 57–60.
• Pringle, D. (2007). The Churches of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: The city of Jerusalem. Vol. III. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-39038-5. (Pringle, 2007, pp. 168-182)

External links

• The website of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem [1]