Cathédrale des Saints-Traducteurs de Marseille, Armenian Cathedral in 8th arrondissement of Marseille, France.
The Cathedral of the Holy Translators is an Armenian Apostolic church in Marseille's 8th arrondissement, built by architect Aram Tahtadjian on the model of the cathedral of Etchmiadzin. Its pale ashlar facade has a deep pointed-arch entrance with a carved cross above, flanked by two dark columns, and a blocky bell tower with three narrow arched windows and an open belfry. A smaller green-roofed dome with a pointed cupola sits to the left. Inside are bas-reliefs by Pierre Verguert and paintings of the tympanum, transept and choir by Belgian painter Jos de Smett.
The first stone was blessed on 22 February 1928 by Monseigneur Krikor Balakian, and the cathedral was consecrated on 25 October 1931, also by Balakian. Architect Aram Tahtadjian modelled the structure on the cathedral of Etchmiadzin, and Brussels businessman Vahan Khorassandjan largely financed the work.
The name honours the Holy Translators, Sahak the Parthian and Mesrop Mashtots, who created the Armenian alphabet. The interior paintings of the tympanum, transept and choir are by the Belgian artist Jos de Smett, while the bas-reliefs are by Pierre Verguert. In the garden stand busts of Archbishop Krikor Balakian, who blessed the first stone, and of the Brussels businessman Vahan Khorassandjan, who financed the building.
The cathedral stands at 12 avenue du Prado in Marseille's 8th arrondissement, in the Saint-Giniez district. The garden with the busts of Vahan Khorassandjan and Krikor Balakian and the 1973 Armenian Genocide memorial can be visited from the street side. Access to the interior follows the parish's opening periods, so confirm them before coming.
The garden holds three separate monuments: a memorial to the Armenian genocide inaugurated in 1973, a bust of Vahan Khorassandjan, the Brussels businessman who largely financed the building, and a bust of Krikor Balakian, who blessed the first stone in 1928 and consecrated the cathedral in 1931.
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