Gulbenkian Library, Armenian Quarter, The Old City, Jerusalem, Israel
The Armenian community of the Holy City is one of the oldest Armenian Diaspora communities. It is believed that the first Armenians settled here at the end of the first century. The famous Armenian quarter in the old town was established by the 12th century, when St. Jacob’s Armenian Cathedral was built. Later, St. Toros Church was erected, where the Patriarchate manuscripts were collected. To date, the library contains more than 4,000 manuscripts, the oldest of which date back to the 11th century. Patriarch Yeghishe Tourian had been considering the idea of establishing a new, larger library for some time. This idea became a reality thanks to the support of philanthropist Calouste Gulbenkian, who dedicated the project to the memory of his parents. The foundation of the building was laid on 1929 and in 1932, the library was opened.
