Firstly, Aznavour was baptized, then got married there. Armenian Cathedral of Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich in Paris

11.01.2021

The Armenian-French friendship has a long history. The first Armenians settled in France in the early Middle Ages, creating communities in Paris, Marseille, Versailles, Lyon, Nice, Bordeaux, Vienne, Valence and a number of other cities. Forming an active Armenian community, the Armenians of France have built numerous schools, social and cultural centers that serve to preserve the Armenian identity. Alongside with it, spiritual life was also actively developing. The Armenian religious communities of the Armenian Apostolic Church in France are united in Paris, Lyon and Marseille. The Armenian Cathedral of Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich (Cathédrale arménienne de Saint-Jean-Baptiste) plays an important role in strengthening the Armenian spiritual life in the country.

It was built in 1904 at the expense of the Armenian businessman-patron of the 20th century Alexander Mantashyants who allocated 1 million 540 thousand francs for it. The building was designed by the French architect Albert Desiree Gilbert. The church is located on 8th street of Jean Goujon in Paris, next to the Champs Elysees.

Every year on April 24, a sacred liturgy is celebrated here in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. It was in this Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich Cathedral that the world famous chansonnier, the great singer Charles Aznavour got married. On October 6, 2018, a large number of Armenians and French gathered near the church to take part in the farewell ceremony for Charles Aznavour. They accompanied the great artist with applause.