Armenian Catholic church (Gheorgheni)

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The Armenian Catholic Church, dedicated to "The birth of the Virgin Mary" (September, 08) is the most interesting historic building of the town. The Baroque church surrounded by stone walls was built in 1733, its proportions and beauty show the one-time richness and good taste of the Armenian community of the town. The bell tower was added in 1734. This church was built by Moldavian Armenians settled in Gheorgheni in 1654 (armenians lead by Mardiros Gandra and the Azbey brothers, forced to flee facing the massive Cossack invasion), 1672 (armenians led by bishop Minas Zilihtar) and 1688. In those times Moldavia was the battleground in the Polish-Turkish Wars. At the beginning the migration was thought to be temporary, but eventually Armenians had to settle west of the Carpathians in Bistriţa, Gheorgheni, Miercurea-Ciuc, Petelea, Şumuleu, Alba-Iulia. A Charter issued by Prince Michael Apafi (Apafi Mihaly) in 1680 gave Armenians autonomy, the right to exercise freely their trade and crafts and to elect their own judges.

References:
(1) www.patrimoniu.ro/LMI/LMI-2010_HR.pdf
(2) www.personal.ceu.hu/students/02/Leon_Stacescu/rh.htm
(3) www.arhivelenationale.ro/images/custom/image/serban/201...
(4) referinte.transindex.ro/enciclopedie/print.php?lang=ro&...