Armenian Church

It is believed that Armenians came to Chennai city in the 16th century CE for trade and settled down here gradually. The Armenian church or the Church of Virgin Mary was constructed by the Armenian community in 1712 CE. The church is located on Armenian Street in the George Town area of Chennai.

The Armenians were once an affluent community that made significant contributions, economic and cultural, to Chennai. But, unfortunately, now there are only 275 registered Armenians remain in India.




The original wooden structure of the church got destroyed during the French invasion, and it was rebuilt in 1772 CE.

Armenian church is well maintained even though it has hardly any visitors nowadays. It has a vast complex with a small chapel and a tower. The highlight of the church is the tower which has six bells, which are believed to be the largest and heaviest in and around Chennai city. Each bell weighs approximately 200 kg. The oldest bell belongs to 1754, there is one which belongs to the 1780s, and the remaining are from the 19th century CE.

The complex also has a small cemetery. There are around 350 graves of Armenians found there. In addition, there is a plaque in memory of the most famous Armenian in the city, Coja Petrus Uscan. The editor of the first Armenian periodical in the world - "Azdarar", Rev. Haroutium Shimavonian, is also buried here.





The beautiful church is definitely worth visiting. The tablets on the walls, the beautifully arranged seats in the prayer hall, the traditional Madras roof, the circular pillars, the historical information with the names, dates, and other details found on the graves, some old photographs - everything is worth visiting.


Happy travelling.