Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of St. James, the pearl of the Jerusalem Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church, is located just outside the main entrance to the Armenian Quarter. The temple, considered one of the most magnificent in the Middle East, a tourist can visit only during the service, and even then not always. But those who are lucky will be impressed by the unusual beauty of the cathedral.
Strictly speaking, the temple is dedicated not to one Saint James, but to two - “the elder” and “the younger”. The elder is called the Apostle James Zebedee, the elder brother of the Evangelist John. Both brothers, nicknamed the "sons of thunder" (apparently because of their ardent disposition), are from the first disciples of Christ. James was present at the Transfiguration of Jesus along with Peter and John; the first of the twelve apostles to be martyred for their faith - he was beheaded with a sword by King Herod Agrippa I. Jacob the Younger, "brother of the Lord" (most likely a cousin of Jesus), is the first bishop of Jerusalem, whom the Jews stoned to death.
Armenian tradition believes that the Apostle James was beheaded at the place where the cathedral now stands, and that his head was buried under the northern wall of the temple, and the body of the younger Jacob under the altar.
The cathedral, with an area of 350 square meters and a height of 18 meters, was built in the 12th century, and mostly finished in the 18th century. The outer courtyard is already attracting attention - its walls are decorated with traditional Armenian works of art, khachkars (crosses carved in stone). The oldest of them dates back to the 12th century.
In the courtyard behind an openwork lattice there are paintings depicting the Last Judgment, two saints James, as well as saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew, patrons of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Along the sides of the main entrance there are altars in the wall. They were used when Saladin, and then the Turks captured Jerusalem (the temple was closed at that time). A long wooden board hangs near the entrance. This beat - the gong on which the deacons beat with wooden mallets, calling the flock, when the Muslims forbade the ringing of bells. The tradition is still being maintained.
The interior of the cathedral is amazing. From the height of the vaulted dome, many icon lamps and ceramic Easter eggs hang from chains. There is no electricity in the temple, only lamps, candles and domed windows illuminate the space typical of Armenian church architecture: three naves, separated by four rectangular columns. Remarkable altars (the main one is carved from precious wood and covered with gilded filigree), the throne of St. James the Younger inlaid with mother-of-pearl, blue tiles covering the columns and walls two meters from the floor.
During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the residents of the Armenian Quarter used the cathedral as a bomb shelter. They talk about a night when more than a thousand shells fell around, but no one was hurt - the walls a meter thick were protected reliably. However, not all and not always had time to hide. A memorial plaque at the entrance indicates the resting place of the 94th Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Gureg Israelian - his heart could not stand it in 1949, too often he held his dead compatriots in his arms.
