Cathedral of Saint James, Jerusalem

Cathedral of Saint James
Սրբոց Յակոբեանց Վանք Հայոց
קתדרלת יעקב הקדוש
Cathedral of Saint James; Սրբոց Յակոբեանց Վանք Հայոց; קתדרלת יעקב הקדוש
	Interior of the cathedral
Religion
Affiliation	Armenian Apostolic Church
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Status	Active
Location
Location	Armenian Quarter, Jerusalem
Geographic coordinates	31°46′28″N 35°13′44″E / 31.77444°N 35.22889°E
Architecture
Type	Domed basilica
Style	Armenian
Completed	12th century

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).^[1] 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.^[2]

Ornamentation

The ceiling is decorated hanging ceramic eggs made in Kütahya.^[3] More ceramics from Kütahya appear in the form of tiles in the Chapel of Etchmiadzin.^[3] 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.^[3]

Gallery

The entry gate to the Armenian Quarter
Entrance of the Cathedral
Closeup of metalwork at the entrance
Arches and dome from the inside
Another view of the interior
Epitaph and mural at the tomb of Patriarch Abraham, since 1192
Altar in Cathedral of St. James (1996)
St James Cathedral 1948

Armenian stonework on the walls
A khachkar
Another khachkar
An Amenaprkitch-style khachkar

References

^ "St. James Cathedral". The Jerusalem Post. 4 June 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
^ Kenaan-Kedar, Nurith (2015). "DECORATIVE ARCHITECTURAL SCULPTURE IN CRUSADER JERUSALEM: THE EASTERN, WESTERN, AND ARMENIAN SOURCES OF A LOCAL VISUAL CULTURE". In J. Boas, Adrian (ed.). The Crusader World. London: Routledge. p. 610.
^ ^a ^b ^c Maranci, Christina (2018). The Art of Armenia: An Introduction. Oxford University Press. pp. 187–188. ISBN 978-0190269005.