Patriarch Hovhannes’ Solution in Support of the Armenian Convent of Jerusalem

In the 1850s the Armenian Convent of Jerusalem was in dire financial straits because pilgrims had stopped coming to Jerusalem due to the Crimean War. The convent depended to a large extent on the donations of pilgrims who sometimes stayed as long as six months in the convent. To avoid becoming victim to outside forces, Patriarch Hovhannes built a number of buildings just outside the walls of the city. The rent from these buildings continues to provide substantial financial support to the convent’s budget.

In the 1850s the Armenian Convent of Jerusalem was in dire financial straits because pilgrims had stopped coming to Jerusalem due to the Crimean War. The convent depended to a large extent on the donations of pilgrims who sometimes stayed as long as six months in the convent. To avoid becoming victim to outside forces, Patriarch Hovhannes built a number of buildings just outside the walls of the city. The rent from these buildings continues to provide substantial financial support to the convent’s budget.