Baghdad’s Armenian church undergoing renovation

PanARMENIAN.Net - Renovations began on St. Gregory the Illuminator Church in Baghdad, the cathedral of the Armenian Diocese of Iraq, under the jurisdiction of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The announcement was made on the diocese’s official Facebook page.

The church was built between 1954 and 1957 on a vast estate belonging to the Armenian Church, which has housed a large Armenian cemetery since 1904, containing both ancient and modern graves.

The site also includes a memorial complex dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide and a large museum, opened in November 1997.

The construction of the cathedral was made possible through the generous donations of two Armenian philanthropists: Simon M. Garibian and Galust Gulbenkian.

Armenians have been present in Iraq since the 7th-12th centuries, during the Abbasid Caliphate. The community expanded significantly after forced relocations under Persian Shah Abbas I and later saw a major influx following the Armenian Genocide, when approximately 100,000 refugees found shelter in Iraq. The Armenian Diocese of Iraq was established in 1922.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Iraq’s Armenian population was around 20,000. However, following the U.S. invasion of Iraq, most Armenians emigrated. Currently, approximately 5,000 Armenians remain in the country.