Visitors can stroll through the tranquil memorial garden behind Singapore’s oldest Christian church. The first Christian church in Singapore was built in 1835 and designed by George D. Coleman. The church retains the traditional Armenian Church architecture and includes the Memorial Garden, the burial site of Armenians in Singapore, and The Parsonage, which now serves as the administrative office of the church.
The Armenian Apostolic Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator is a beautiful and tranquil church located on Hill Street. Catering to the Armenian community, who were among the earliest traders to set foot in Singapore after it became a British trading port, it is also Singapore’s very first Christian church. Devotees used to worship in a makeshift chapel in what is today’s Raffles Place, but after being granted a plot of land at the foot of Fort Canning Hill, managed to raise funds among local and overseas Armenian communities – making the chapel we see today possible. The church now stands as a tribute to the early influential Armenian community, which included notable figures like the Sarkies brothers who established Raffles Hotel, Agnes Joaquim who hybridised Singapore’s national flower, and Catchick Moses who co-founded The Straits Times.
Own or work here?