Located on Abbaszade Street stands a former Christian temple—the Church of St. John, more commonly known as the Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Ovanes. This church is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Originally constructed in 1633, it underwent significant reconstruction in 1860.
The church, known as the Albanian Church (1633), hides beneath it the Armenian temple of Surb Ovanes (St. John the Baptist). At the time of its construction, the church was under the authority of the Albanian Catholicosate, which outlasted the ancient Caucasian Albania by many centuries. There are few Armenian churches with similar architecture left today. This building represents a local architectural style, and in the mountains near Dashkasan (about 40 kilometers from Ganja), many similar ruins still stand. One of the most notable sites is the Monastery of the Holy Translators (Targmanchats), where, in 411 AD, the revered scholars Mesrop Mashtots and Saak Parthev first translated the Bible into Armenian.
The church remained an active Armenian place of worship until 1900 when the persecution of Armenians began.
From 1988, the Albanian Church served as a venue for a philharmonic, hosting performances and cultural events.
