The Tale of the Church
Photo: Prabir Das
Built in 1781, the Armenian Church is considered Dhaka's most significant historical land marks. It is located in Armanitola of old Dhaka which was once the Armenian colony back in early 18th Century. The church's ground was used as an Armenian graveyard. Agaminus Catachik, an Armenian businessman used to own the grounds around the graveyard. After his wife, Sofy died in 1768, he donated his land to the authorities. The church was built a couple of years later in the memory of Catachik's wife. Since then, it has been a silent witness to a thousand years of history.
The big wooden door of the church portrays Orthodox churches built in that period. If one opens the door, they will see square box like carvings all around the premises. They were once the graves of Armenians. From the balcony of the church, one can see nothing but old tombstones. Engraved in either Armenian or English language, the tombstones say a lot for the Armenian culture which once dominated this area. It is said that there are more than 350 graves in the church's ground. One of the graves that stand out from the others is the grave of Catchik. A statue stands on his grave, portraying his wife. The grave is inscribed with words, "Best of Husband."
After fifty years, a clock tower was built along the west side of the church. Some say, the clock's bell could be heard from miles away and people use to synchronise their watches from this clock tower. The clock stopped in 1880 due to lack of maintenance and an earthquake in 1897 destroyed the whole tower.
Inside of the church is filled with beautiful paintings done by Charles Port. The main floor is divided into three parts. A stage covered by railings, a middle section with two folding doors, and an area separated by a wooden barrier for seating. A spiral staircase goes up from the main hall to the second floor of the church. There is also a 3 feet marble front behind the stage. It was used for Baptism. In 1996, Mother Teresa stayed in the church's compound during her visit.
Though, today the church is closed for visitors most of the time, it has been quite a famous subject for people. BBC and AFP have made documentaries surrounding this church.
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