arabic hebrew armenian traditionally currently known quarters walled located southwestern corner accessed gate occupies area total population total criteria comparable separated david street street armenian presence jerusalem dates fourth century armenia adopted christianity national religion armenian monks settled jerusalem considered oldest living community outside armenian homeland quarter developed gradually dominates quarter took modern shape 19th century monastery houses established diocese seventh century facto administrator quarter acts mini welfare state armenian residents armenian community decline mid-20th century according immediate danger disappearing formally separate greek orthodox latin catholic christians consider quarter christian jerusalem government armenia publicly expressed opposition political division quarters central reasons existence separate distinct language culture unlike majority christians jerusalem israel palestine arab palestinian purposes living armenian quarter considered israel united_nations faced restrictions lives location borders located southwestern corner jerusalem quarter accessed gate according study published quarter occupies area total formally separated david street street history origins early fourth century armenia king country adopt christianity state religion large number armenian monks recorded settled jerusalem early fourth century christian holy places city written records fifth century jerusalem considered oldest living community outside armenian homeland armenian churches constructed period including expanded century armenian operation mid fifth century secular community composed merchants established sixth century armenian street existed byzantine arab periods broke rest christianity rejecting dual nature christ agreed found direct confrontation byzantine_empire emperor persecuted forcing leave jerusalem seventh century armenian chronicler mentioned existence seventy armenian monasteries palestine revealed excavations byzantines ceded jerusalem siege point jerusalem single christian bishop established archbishop officially recognized foundation armenian migration jerusalem solidified 12th century thousand moved jerusalem presumably mainly rule assumed title patriarch according decree permitted build wall quarter rulers felt quarter pose threat destroying city walls fortifications staple governance order prevent returning rule government engraved following declaration arabic western entrance quarter order master issued taxes levied recently town governor payment armenian enclosure cancelled requested cancellation recorded honored books year payment takes tax damned son damned curse historian provided detailed description mentioned monastery james cathedral ottoman period ottoman rule jerusalem developed cosmopolitan city religious tolerance ottoman administration existed sort religious differences rival christian churches muslims israeli historians wrote armenian quarter christian represented distinct ethnic group particular language culture intent retaining separate identity unity contacts arabs ottoman authorities fear persecution armenian community jerusalem arabic speaking addition armenian european languages self identified palestinian society current walls jerusalem completed orders walls internal walls built determined outline quarter record counted counted ottomans increase according chronicler armenian families lived jerusalem significant increase population attributed experienced christians came jerusalem christians second largest christian community 19th century armenian christian quarters european style roofs opposed preferred muslim jewish quarters established city printing press seminary opened photographic workshop jerusalem founded armenian quarter schools boys girls united school jerusalem armenian families constituted largest christian community greek orthodox catholic latin communities residents year armenian priests monks servicemen lived according ottoman census population comprised jews christians muslims jews numbered little inhabited eastern second half nineteenth century western world war british periods prior world war palestine jerusalem jerusalem captured british war thousands armenian genocide survivors found refuge quarter onward believed lived palestine majority jerusalem period number estimated reached british census showed palestine palestine repatriated soviet government efforts boost armenia population large scale ethnic middle_east marked beginning long term decline armenian community jerusalem arab israeli war damaged bombs housed palestine armenian civil guard armed describes makeshift weapons formed defend quarter died war israeli period jerusalem came israeli control aftermath day war armenian facto administrator quarter acts mini welfare state armenian residents arab israeli conflict significantly impacted quarter politically armenian population article published stated jerusalem try maintain good relations arabs deny community affected tensions city issues major obstacle residing citizenship israeli government considers permanent residents status wrote israeli bureaucracy considers means endless delays getting documents airport map published coordination humanitarian affairs november indicated color reserved palestinian communities according armenian researcher considered legal purposes difficulty obtaining travel marriage documents palestine based foreign correspondent western newspapers wrote publication based status palestinian residents armenian lives properties heritage bound israeli constraints palestinian economist wrote faced restrictions lives similar imposed prevention construction new buildings armenian quarter limited space district makes housing expensive according given current income simply afford maintain primary residence jewish settlement occupation eastern jerusalem jews allowed live start israeli occupation expanded properties armenian quarter owned jews armenian community concerned jewish quarter expand number jews old city continues grow armenian population location armenian quarter main access roads israeli controlled holy sites armenian properties prime real estate israeli eyes according armenian share view held muslim israel designation city capital jewish state means control residence building permits press arabs non jews leave israeli sovereignty according usher worst future armenian community members jerusalem armenian community voiced concerns israeli government policies commitment preserving community presence demographics writing estimated population according study quarter housed people total armenian population decline began jerusalem mid-20th century arab israeli war middle conflict arabs jews characterized feeling loneliness lack longstanding political solution israeli palestinian conflict jerusalem cited main cause decrease number fell half muslim population increased jewish population expulsion occupation exodus following breakout according honorary armenian consul jerusalem lived armenian quarter total jerusalem articles published number armenian quarter low despite drastic decline number israeli scholar wrote existence church headquarters jerusalem provides continued presence clergy certain number contrary american argued armenian community jerusalem immediate danger disappearing wealthy parts jerusalem closed environment armenian quarter spurs west armenian author wrote armenian community jerusalem follows survival community today population divided today barely command street certainly lay claim entire quarter centuries identifies groups living armenian quarter group includes monks live monastery lay people divided groups living monastery compound living armenian quarter outside monastery walls thirds lay persons reside monastery walls locally known lit convent number people pay rent pay symbolic living outside monastery walls called lit city ancestry goes centuries pay municipal taxes identifies citizens city indigenous armenian speaking inhabitants quarter live outside monastery walls attend migrants ancestors parts ottoman_empire moved jerusalem following genocide attend services cathedral according period immediately arrival referred arabic word visitors turn reported labelled arab dirty arab groups remained wary time fact significant scale world war relations subsequently improved language armenian dialect spoken jerusalem highly distinctive geographically relatively isolated rest armenian speaking world arabic significant influence hebrew little having introduced region 20th century ancestors came turkey following genocide speak turkish influenced western armenian landmarks institutions armenian religious thought founded 4th century current structure dates 12th century according local tradition church built armenian king memory son killed battle church renovated current state church holy founded 12th century probably ruins ancient church 4th century educational alex founded financing armenian american businessman philanthropist holy school contains elementary secondary schools total students cultural founded helen armenian art culture opened exhibits consist historical religious artifacts coins copper tiles map replica printing press etc founded financing british armenian businessman philanthropist named officially opened october considered world comprehensive armenian intellectual resource centers book collection opening day contained volumes armenian languages decades later number reached manuscript library founded holds armenian manuscripts making second largest world armenia number manuscripts stood armenian garden non armenian churches orthodox monastery located share tended prefer live umbrella larger stronger armenian community 19th century anglican church known house place worship jerusalem tower david citadel political status views international community considers occupied palestinian territory armenian views quiet political consensus jerusalem according economist palestinian israeli international space governed representatives protected united_nations international bodies according identify palestinian struggle advocate exclusive palestinian sovereignty furthermore consider stance reaffirmed armenia foreign minister late stated armenia separation armenian division proposal camp david summit president bill_clinton proposed division according israeli sovereignty granted certain degree sovereignty christian israeli prime minister embraced proposal palestinian views palestinian leaders publicly declared consider armenian quarter palestine relinquish israel rejected proposal camp david summit division stated armenian quarter belongs people told clinton making sound armenian armenian brothers said leaving israeli rule commenting statements historians wrote reason believe preferred control israeli control meeting leaders christian communities palestinian president stated palestinian leadership sticks position considers armenian quarter integral capital independent palestinian state according palestine papers leaked chief palestinian proposed geographical division october meeting according israel acquire sovereignty entire jewish quarter israeli jewish views israel maintains jerusalem complete united including capital according jerusalem law article called israeli sovereignty wrote particular armenian quarter sector actually occupied armenian compound armenian compound wall big cathedral adjoining buildings rest quarter wasn jewish wasn wasn christian applied section neighbor armenian simply convenient fiction christian views armenian greek orthodox latin jerusalem sent strongly letter camp david summit stating regard christian armenian quarters entities firmly united faith pope visit stated christian centuries armenian community jerusalem history marked extraordinary monastic life culture linked holy places traditions developed educational cultural institutions attached long distinguished history
Armenian Quarter