Armenian Church of Nazareth

The Armenian Church of Nazareth stands on Armenian Street in the Barabazar commercial district of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Armenian merchants had been trading in Bengal since before the arrival of the British, and the community built a wooden chapel here in 1707 on the site of an older burial ground. The present stone church was built in 1724 by Agha Nazar, a leading Armenian merchant, and is regarded as one of the oldest churches in the city. A bell tower was added in 1734, and the church is dedicated to the Holy Nazareth. The architecture follows the Armenian Apostolic tradition in a simple form, with a white facade, a modest dome and a nave with pews, mixed with colonial Georgian elements. Inside are marble memorial plaques, a painting of the Last Supper and a collection of Armenian inscriptions. The churchyard has graves dating back to the early 17th century, including a tombstone for Rezabeebeh from 1630, which is among the oldest European-style gravestones in Calcutta. The community declined as many Armenians left for other cities and countries, and the church is now cared for by a small remaining group and the Armenian Church Committee, supported by the Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy. The building was restored in the early 2000s with support from heritage groups. The church remains a working place of worship for Armenian services on Sundays and special feast days, and a lone caretaker usually opens the gates to visitors who ask. The surrounding lanes of Barabazar are a busy trading quarter.