At the beginning of the 20th century, the famous Armenian writer Alexander Shirvanzade informed the Catholicos of All Armenians Mattheos II Izmirlyan in one of his letters that the great national philanthropist Alexander Mantashyan longs to "build a comfortable residence for His Holiness the Patriarch at his own expense".
The building of the Pontifical Residence was built in 1910 (the foundation blessing service was held on June 6 of the same year) with the design of architect Poghos Zohrabyan and the donation of famous philanthropist Alexander Mantashyan. In 1910 on June 6, Catholicos of All Armenians Mattheos II presided over the foundation blessing service of the Cathedral. Architect Poghos Zohrabyan is designing a two-story, large and bright building. Unfortunately, neither Catholicos Matthew II nor Alexander Mantashyan were lucky enough to enter the newly built Residence.
The main construction works were completed in 1914, during the reign of Catholicos of All Armenians Gevorg V.
Unfortunately, Patriarch Gevorg V also did not have the opportunity to completely finish the building of the Residence and settle there, because the First World War begins, and months later, the Armenian Genocide.
The newly built Residence serves as a military hospital, a shelter for refugees and orphans. During the years of the First Republic, it was turned into a barracks where the military command was located. And in 1920, when the Soviet order was established in Armenia, the Residence was also confiscated.
In 1957, ahead of the appeal of Vazgen I, Catholicos of All Armenians, by the order of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, N. A. Bulganin, the Residence is returned to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
In 1958-1962, with the support of benefactors of the Mother See, the Residence was radically reconstructed and renovated, the halls and rooms were furnished and decorated with works of art. The area around the Residence is fenced and improved.
In 1962, on September 30, the Catholicos of All Armenians solemnly enters the Pontifical Residence, and it becomes patriarchal residence.
On the occasion of the opening of the building, Patriarch Vazgen I established a small gallery on the second floor, where the paintings of famous Armenian artists Hovhannes Aivazovsky, Martiros Saryan, Hakob Kojoyan, Vardges Surenyants, Yeghishe Tadevosyan, Gevorg Bashinjaghyan, Garzu, Edgar Shahin, Zareh Mutafyan, Zhansem and others were presented, which were dedicated to the Armenian Church over the time.
The most remarkable and interesting works of art are the large golden cross, the Armenian gold letter and diamond-encrusted alphabet, which decorates the polished surface of the onyx board. The cross and the alphabet were made by the order of Patriarch Vazgen I, by the hands of jeweler Zhirayr Chuloyan and according to the design of architect Baghdasar Arzumanyan.
In 1996, at the initiative of Catholicos Karekin I, the front part of the building was decorated with a bas-relief of the Catholic emblem and bas-relief crosses.
From the very beginning of the reign of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, efforts have been made to undertake the maintenance and improvement of the Armenian Residence. One of the philanthropic contributions made by Mr. Samvel and Mrs. Eteri Karapetyan in the homeland from 2010 to 2019, are the large-scale renovation and beautification works of the Residence, as a result of which on September 18, 2019, the residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians, reopens.
The reception of the Armenian Patriarch, the museum, the meeting place of the Supreme Spiritual Council, the offices of the staff of the Residence are located on the first floor of the Pontifical Residence. On the second floor, there is a large throne room, a manuscript room, a Catholicosic library, a small throne room, where the onyx patriarchal throne, made during the reign of Patriarch Vazgen I, with its symbols, was placed by the order of His Holiness.
Two highly artistic cross-stones (khachkars) (Noravank, 1308, work of Master Momik; Artsakh, 1640) are placed on the second floor of the Residence.
To the west of the Residence, a ceremony hall was built with the benevolence of the Karapetyan family. On the right and left sides of the broad stage of the lighted hall are carved the icons of two key events of the national-ecclesiastical history: The construction of Holy Etchmiadzin by the vision of Gregory the Illuminator and the re-establishment of the Patriarchal See of All Armenians in Holy Etchmiadzin in 1441.
The repair and expansion works of the Residence are completed by the harmonious landscaping of the garden and the surroundings.