Apostolic Armenian Church of Saint Mary Magdalene

The Apostolic Armenian Church of Saint Mary Magdalene is a compact but strikingly distinctive place of worship in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles, built specifically to serve the local Armenian community. Its bold, geometric form sets it apart from the surrounding Belgian streetscape and immediately signals architectural roots far from Western Europe, even though the building itself dates only from the late 20th century.

Why was this church built?

The initiative to construct a dedicated Armenian church came from the Armenian community living in and around Brussels. In the early 1980s, a non-profit organization called the Foundation for the Armenian Church in Belgium was established specifically to raise the funds needed for the project. Although relatively small in number, Armenians in Belgium had long sought a place of worship that reflected their own liturgical and architectural traditions, which differ substantially from the Catholic and Protestant churches that dominate the Belgian religious landscape.

When was the church built?

Construction officially began on 14 November 1986, when the first stone was laid. The building process took several years, and the completed church was blessed and formally opened on 6 May 1990. From fundraising to final consecration, the entire undertaking spanned nearly a decade — a testament to the scale of the organizational effort mounted by a comparatively small community.

Who designed it, and what inspired the design?

The church was designed by architect Haïk Mardikian together with engineer Jacques Kupélian. Their design drew direct inspiration from the Holy Cross Church on Aghtamar Island in Lake Van, eastern Turkey — one of the most celebrated monuments of medieval Armenian architecture. Despite using contemporary construction materials and techniques, the building was deliberately shaped to evoke traditional Armenian sacred architecture rather than any Western European style.

What is the layout of the building?

The church follows a central-plan design known as a tetraconch: a structure built around four semicircular, apse-like arms radiating from a central core, complemented by additional side chapels. This layout is characteristic of early medieval Armenian church architecture and gives the building a distinctive, almost cruciform silhouette, clearly setting it apart from the long, rectangular naves typical of classic Western European churches.

Where is it located, and who is it important to?

The church stands at Rue Kindermans 1A in Ixelles (Elsene), one of the municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region. It serves as a spiritual anchor for the Armenian diaspora in Belgium — an estimated 1,800 Armenian families live in the greater Brussels area, for whom the church functions as both a religious and cultural reference point.

Frequently asked questions

Is the church open to visitors? As an active parish church, it primarily serves the worship needs of the local Armenian community, but its striking architecture also draws visitors interested in sacred art and the history of Armenians in Europe.

How does this church differ from typical churches in Brussels? Unlike the Gothic and Baroque Catholic churches that dominate the city, this building draws directly on medieval Armenian architectural traditions, making it a rare example of ethnic sacred architecture in Belgium.

Does the building matter beyond its religious function? Yes — it also stands as an important symbol of the presence and identity of the Armenian diaspora in Belgium, built through a grassroots fundraising effort led by the community itself.