Singapore /Singapore /Singapore
Sight Address : 60 Hill St, Singapore 179366, Singapore (Downtown Core) Edit
Detail InformationEdit
The Armenian Apostolic Church of St Gregory the Illuminator is located at 60 Hill Street. Designed and built by G. D. Coleman in 1835 with funding from the small but wealthy Armenian community, it is the oldest church building in Singapore. The church was gazetted as a national monument on 6 July 1973. The Armenian Church (full name: Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator; Chinese: 亚米尼亚教堂; pinyin: Yàmǐníyà Jiàotáng; Armenian: Սուրբ Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչի Եկեղեցի – Surb Grigor Lusavorichi Yekeghetsi) is the oldest Christian church in Singapore, located at Hill Street in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area, Singapore’s central business district.The Armenians collected subscriptions to build a church for themselves in 1827. By 1833, an appeal was made for land to build a church, with the sandy grounds at the foot of Fort Canning finally approved as an ideal site in 1834. The foundation stone was blessed by the Supreme Archimandrite, the Rev. Thomas Gregorian on 1 January 1835. On 26 March 1836, it was consecrated by Rev. Catchick in a three-and-a-half hour ceremony. It was dedicated to St Gregory the Illuminator, the first monk in the Armenian Church. Built at a total cost of $5,058.30 Spanish pesetas, most of the funds came from just 12 Armenian families, an indication of the prosperity of the community. In 1909, the Church became one of the first buildings in Singapore to enjoy the benefits of electricity when it had electric lights and fans installed.
Armenian Church
HistoryEdit
George Drumgoole Coleman, overseer of Convicts and Superintendent of Public Works, was the architect of many of Singapore’s finest historical buildings. The Armenian Church, arguably his masterpiece, is perhaps the finest landmark in the early architectural development of the nation.The government granted the land on which the church stands to the Armenian community in 1834. By 1835, the building was completed. Consecrated by Reverend Catchick Johannes in 1836 and dedicated to St Gregory the Illuminator, the first Patriarch of the Church in Armenia, it was the second church to be built in Singapore.Over half the construction cost of 5,000 Spanish dollars was donated by the Armenian community in Singapore, with the rest coming from Armenians in Java and India, and a small portion from European and Chinese merchants in Singapore. Considering that the Armenian community was tiny — the 1824 census counted only 16 members — its contribution to the Armenian Church was huge in proportion, a testament to the religious devotion of the Armenians. Even in 1821, two years after Sir Stamford Raffles’ landing, the community held religious services and, in 1827, after funds had been collected, the first priest, the Reverend Krikor Hovhannes (Gregory John), arrived.Armenian Street is named after the church and its Chinese name is seng poh sin chu au (the back of Seng Poh’s new building).
Armenian Church was gazetted as a national monument on 6 July 1973.
Must SeeEdit
Popular
Visiting TimeEdit
9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Closed OnEdit
N.A.
Best Season to VisitEdit
June to July, November to December
Best Time To VisitEdit
Morning And Evening
Time Required for SightseeingEdit
N.A.
Ticket Required : No Edit
Individual National Adult : N.A.
Kids : N.A.
Individual Foreigner Adult : N.A.
Kids : N.A.
Still Photo Camera : N.A.
Video Camera : N.A.
Guide Required : No Edit
Approximate cost: N.A.
Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit
Dress Require: N.A.
Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit
- Grand Copthorne Waterfront ; 392 Havelock Rd Singapore 169663 ; Ph/M – 65 6733 0880 ; Food Serve – N.A.
How to ReachEdit
Taxi : Taxis are generally very hard to get during peak hours (Mon-Fri 7:00am – 9:30am and Mon-Sat 5:00pm – 8:00pm) and on rainy days. If you are at a hotel, have conceirge call you a taxi. If you are out about town and have access to a cell phone- calling for a taxi will cut your wait time by 20 to 30 minutes. All taxis are fitted with meters; all are air conditioned; the majority of the taxis are 5-seaters; about 90% of taxis have radiophones; call booking is done via GPS or digital voice dispatch. All passengers must fasten their seat belts by law.
For taxi Booking fee is SGD $2.3. Minimum fare for taxi is SGD $3 for first 1Km. Fare above minimum fare until 10Km is SGD $0.55 per Km. Fare above 10Km is charge SGD $0.628 per Km. Taxi Waiting charges per hour is SGD $17.6. Peak Hours charges is diffrent.
Bus : Public buses run daily from 5.30am to midnight. Extended night services cost slightly more (a flat rate ranging from $1.50-$3.00). Otherwise, most fares depend on distance travelled and range from 67 cents to $1.58 for air-conditioned comfort (almost all public buses in Singapore have air-conditioning today). There are also “feeder” bus services that charge a flat rate of 67 cents. Each bus should not take more than 15 to 20 minutes to arrive at the bus stop.
Train : Singapore MRT system is very well connected to different parts of Singapore and very clean! If you have the time and plan to explore around little Sunny island, get the the Singapore Tourist Pass!
It runs 6am-12mn, fares start at S$1 (70cents in EZ link). Tickets can be purchased in all MRT stations. You just have to insert your money through the ticket machine. Rush hour’s usually 7am-9am, 11am-2pm and 4pm-7pm.
Air : Changi Airport is the country’s main airport. From the airport there are a number of ways to get into the city:
Taxi is easiest – simply follow the signs after clearing customs. Meters are always used in Singapore and prices are reasonable. A trip to the city during the day will be between $20-$30 including $3-5 airport surcharge. An additional 50% surcharge applies between midnight and 06:00.
Limousines charge a flat $50 to anywhere in the city and are a pretty good deal after midnight, as you can skip the queue and avoid the surcharge. The same pricing applies to chartering van-sized MaxiCabs, which are good for large families or if you have lots of baggage.
Shuttle – Shared six-seater MaxiCab shuttle service to designated areas/hotels costs $7 and can be booked in advance or in the arrivals hall. 6AM-2AM, every 15-30 min.
Subway – MRT trains run from a station between T2 and T3, but you’ll need to change trains at Tanah Merah to a city-bound train: just exit through the left hand side door and cross the platform. The 30 min ride to City Hall station costs $1.90 plus a refundable $1 deposit, and trains run 05:31-23:18.
Bus – Bus terminals can be found in the basements of T1, T2 and T3. 06:00-23:59 only. Fares are less than $2.00, exact fare required (no change given) if you pay cash.
Others : N.A.
Things to CarryEdit
- Carry drinking of Bottled water.
Safety / WarningEdit
- Please be advised that all bags and personal items are subject to inspection.
HelplineEdit
Police: 999
Emergencies/Ambulance/Fire Brigade: 999
Police Hotline: 1800 353 0000
Non-emergency ambulance: 1777
Flight Information (24-hours): 1800-542 4422
Tourism Information (24-hours): 1800-736 2000
