For three generations, the Karakashian family have run an Armenian pottery workshop in Jerusalem. 

For visitors strolling down the alleys of Jerusalem’s Old City, the sight of the beautifully hand-painted street signs above them is a welcome one. But for Hagop Karakashian it’s also a personal one, and for good reason, too – his father made them.

“I am the third generation of ceramic painters,” he tells ISRAEL21c in a recent Zoom interview. “We are a family of ceramic artists and painters and one of the founders of Armenian pottery in Jerusalem and the Holy Land.”

Softspoken and immensely patient of a last-minute change of plans, Karakashian shares a backstory that encapsulates Middle Eastern history, Jerusalem lore and the diverse communities that make up the city.

His family came to Jerusalem in 1919 from a Turkish town renowned for its Ottoman-style ceramics. The British governor, Sir Ronald Storrs, had invited three artisans to repair and replace the ancient ceramic tiles on the Dome of the Rock.

“They were Mr. David Ohannessian, who was the head of the group — he had ties with the British Mandate and he spoke English very well; Mr. Megerditch Karakashian, who was my grandfather — he was the painter; and Mr. Neshan Balian, the potter — he worked with the clay and made the actual tiles out of the clay,” Karakashian explains.

“On the Temple Mount there was an old kiln. They fixed it and started making the sample tiles for the repair of the Dome of the Rock.”

While the British were pleased with the sample tiles, local Muslim authorities were not happy with the idea of Christians working on one of Islam’s holiest sites.

“The project is cancelled, but the three artists cannot go back to Turkey because of the genocide. They remain in Jerusalem and open together the first Armenian pottery workshop,” Karakashian explains.

In the Christmas spirit

In fact, Karakashian’s family celebrates Christmas twice.

“We start celebrating on Christmas eve, the 24th of December actually, because my wife is Armenian Catholic. We go to church and have a family dinner and exchange gifts. We enjoy some of the activities and Christmas bazaars in Jerusalem,” he says.

“One activity is the lighting of the Christmas tree at the New Gate. We also go to the Church of the Nativity for the Armenian Orthodox Christmas prayers on the eve of the 18th of January. Although it’s not an official religious holiday in Israel, we have full religious freedom to celebrate Christmas and pray.”