Armenian heritage in the heart of Yangon
- 66 Bo Aung Kyaw Street
- Sunday Mass at 8:30am
The only Orthodox church in town
Once the gathering point for a thriving Armenian community in Yangon, now the church has a congregation of only seven worshippers. In the absence of a full-time ascribed priest, an Armenian pastor flies in on a regular basis from India to preside over the service.
Armenian community
The small church dates back to 1863 and was built by Armenians who been coming to Yangon via Iran and India since the 17th century. They were a powerful lot in Yangon, among them the Sarkies brothers, who built the Strand Hotel, and Samuel Balthazar, the wealthy trader who owned the beautiful Balthazar building at Bank Street. The Armenians were close with the Burmese monarchy, who donated the land for this church right in the middle of the city.
Nice to know
The church was renovated for the visit of the Armenian Pope to Yangon in 2014.