Armenian Quarter

The Armenian Quarter (traditionally Armenian: Հայոց թաղ, Hayots t'agh; currently mostly known as Երուսաղէմի հայկական թաղամաս, Yerusaghemi haykakan t'aghamas;Arabic: حارة الأرمن‎, Harat al-Arman; Hebrew: הַרֹבַע הַאַרְמֶנִי, HaRova HaArmeni) is one of the four quarters of the walled Old City of Jerusalem. Located in the southwestern corner of the Old City, it can be accessed through the Zion Gate and Jaffa Gate. It occupies an area of 0.126 km² (126 dunam), which is 14% of the Old City's total. In 2007 it had a population of 2,424 (6.55% of Old City's total). In both criteria, it is comparable to the Jewish Quarter. The Armenian Quarter is separated from the Christian Quarter by David Street (Suq el-Bazaar) and by Habad Street (Suq el-Husur) from the Jewish Quarter.

The Armenian presence in Jerusalem dates back to the fourth century AD when Armenia adopted Christianity as a national religion and Armenian monks settled in Jerusalem. It is thus considered the oldest living diaspora community outside the Armenian homeland. The quarter developed gradually around the St. James Monastery—which dominates the quarter—and took its modern shape by the 19th century. The monastery houses the Armenian Apostolic Church's Jerusalem Patriarchate, which was established as a diocese in the seventh century. The patriarchate is the de facto administrator of the quarter and "acts as a mini-welfare state" for the Armenian residents. The Armenian community has been in decline since the mid-20th century and according to one scholar, is in immediate danger of disappearing.