  The First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope (FACT) is designed to detect cosmic
gamma-rays with energies from several hundred GeV up to about 10 TeV using the
Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique. In contrast to former or existing
telescopes, the camera of the FACT telescope is comprised of solid-state
Geiger-mode Avalanche Photodiodes (G-APD) instead of photomultiplier tubes for
photo detection. It is the first full-scale device of its kind employing this
new technology. The telescope is operated at the Observatorio del Roque de los
Muchachos (La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain) since fall 2011. This paper
describes in detail the design, construction and operation of the system,
including hardware and software aspects. Technical experiences gained after one
year of operation are discussed and conclusions with regard to future projects
are drawn.
