The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople is headed by the Armenian Patriarch (also known as Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople , or Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul) . In spite of its being one of the smallest Patriarchates of the Oriental Orthodox Church , the Armenian Patriarchate has exerted a very significant political role and till today , it still exercises a spiritual authority and has a considerable respect among Orthodox churches .
The Patriarchate of Constantinople was not established until 1461 . Before that date , during the
Byzantine
period , the Armenian Apostolic Church was not allowed to operate in Constantinople because the Byzantine Church considered the Armenian Church as heretic . However after the conquest of Constantinople , Sultan Mehmed II allowed the Armenians to establish their own church in the new Ottoman capital . Also , the Syrian Orthodox Church was placed under the jurisdiction of the Armenian Patriarchate , for a short period .
The first Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople was Hovakim I , the Metropolitan of Bursa . He was brought by Sultan Mehmed II and established as the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople in 1461 . He had the title of milletbaşı or ethnarch as well as patriarch , and he was recognized as the leader of all Armenians in the Ottoman Empire . From the date of
its establishment till today , there have been 84 individual Patriarchs in the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople .
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