Armenian Church, Bucharest, Bucharest, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Armenian Church (Biserica Armenească) in Bucharest is the main church of the city's Armenian community, built between 1911 and 1915 in the Armenian Quarter. It stands on the site of an older church and shows how long Armenians have been part of Bucharest's story.

The story behind it

Armenians settled in Bucharest centuries ago and formed a close community around this part of the city. A church stood here long before the present building, and the creators of the route date an earlier church on the site to the 18th century. The current church was designed by the architect Dimitrie Maimarolu and completed in 1915.

Its design is said to follow the model of the cathedral at Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), the spiritual centre of the Armenian Church. That makes it a small piece of Armenia placed on a Bucharest street, and a link between the Armenian homeland and the Romanian capital.

What to look for

• Look at the overall shape and the stonework of the building, which draw on Armenian church architecture rather than the Romanian Orthodox churches found elsewhere in the city.
• Notice how the church sits among the streets of the Armenian Quarter, a calm corner away from the busier avenues.
• Compare the church with the buildings around it, and you will see how a 20th-century design was set into an older neighbourhood.
• Pause at the entrance and take in the details of the exterior before you decide whether to go closer.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 15 to 20 minutes for the church itself, and more if you want to wander the surrounding streets.
• It is an active place of worship, so dress modestly and keep your voice low. Check current opening hours and whether visitors can go inside.
• Morning or late afternoon light is gentler for photographs of the facade.
• Combine the visit with a walk through the rest of the Armenian Quarter, which is easy to cover on foot.

See it on a quest

The church is one stop on La pas prin Cartierul Armenesc, a self-guided walk through the Armenian Quarter. You reach it on foot as part of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no schedule.