Yeremyan Building (1892-1893)

The Monastic Residence building was constructed from 1892 to 1893, through the efforts of Bishop Yeremia Galustian, who was serving at the time as the locum tenets of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The building served as a monastic residence until the 1920s and was called the “Yeremyan Cells”. However, in 1920 the property of the Mother See was nationalized and the building of “Yeremyan Cells” was held under the auspices of the State. During this period the building served as a civil hostel. In the 1950s it was returned to the Mother See through the efforts of Vazgen I, once again serving as a monastic residence until a new Monastic Residence Building was constructed by His Holiness Karekin II.

The building is made of local tufa stone and is remarkable for the magnificent tufa ornamentation, perfectly matching the general image of the Mother See. Being constructed over a groundwater stream, the foundation of the building was weakened over the years and it required immediate reconstruction. The building underwent a complete reconstruction and restoration process from 2013 to 2015. The project architect was Mr. Ashot Minasian and the restoration was sponsored by the American-Armenian family, the Martikian. They were the first to share their concerns with the Catholicos of All Armenians for preserving this magnificent building of great historical and cultural significance. The restoration process of the building was completed in 2015.

The two-story building has entrances on each side of the building. The eastern side is temporary residences for visitors, guests and visiting faculty. The western side contains various departments of the Mother See, including the Christian Education administration office, the Gevorkian Seminary Public Relations Office, and the Office of External Relations and Protocol.