Although the Armenian community in Jerusalem goes back to the 5th century, it was only in the 1920’s that Armenian Ceramics were introduced in the city. In 1919 the British authorities invited Armenian pottery craftsman David Ohannessian to repair the 16th century ceramic tiles that were decorating the Dome of the Rock. Ohennesian recruited a few fellow artisans to assist him, but the project was never completed. The official reason was luck of funds, but the rumor was that the Muslims opposed having Christians repair their Muslim shrine. The building would eventually be repaired in 1962, under Jordanian rule, with tiles from Turkey. Nevertheless, Ohannesian settled in Jerusalem, and opened a workshop of Armenian ceramics and tiles, along the Via Dolorosa. His distinct artwork became popular, and especially his colored tiles. Various buildings in the British Mandate period were decorated with his tiles many buildings during the British Mandate – The Rockefeller Museum, The American Colony hotel, Mount Zion Hotel, and more.
More workshops opened
Armenian Ceramics Workshops Today
Along the Christian road, is another ceramics workshop of this style of, but it is ran by member of the Assyriac community of Jerusalem, Eli Kouz.
Visiting the Workshops
Most of the Armenian Ceramic workshops are in the Christian and Armenian Quarters. Unfortunately, their livelihood is now under threat. Many souvenir shops in the old city now sell low quality machine-made imitations of these ceramics. They are mass produced in the West Bank, or imported from China, at a fifth of the cost of a genuine artifact.
For viewing (and possibly shopping) genuine Armenian ceramics, it is recommended to order a Day tour of Jerusalem that will include a visit to these workshops.
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