Holy See of Cilicia

The Holy See of Cilicia in Antelias is the seat of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, one of the two supreme sees of the Armenian Apostolic Church, whose origins trace to Armenia's adoption of Christianity in 301 AD. Driven from Sis by the Armenian Genocide, Catholicos Sahak II wandered through Syria and Lebanon before establishing the Catholicosate in Antelias in 1930 on a site that had housed an American-run orphanage for genocide survivors since 1922. Its St. Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral was funded by the benefactor Sarkis Kenadjian, whose identity remained secret until his death. The complex also includes a memorial chapel dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, a theological seminary, a library preserving rare Armenian manuscripts, a museum, and the residence of the Catholicos. Catholicos Aram I has led the Holy See since 1995, which continues to serve Armenian Apostolic communities across the Middle East and the worldwide diaspora.