Located only twenty kilometres from Yerevan, Etchmiadzin Cathedral is one of the most important historical sites in the country. Armenia was the first nation in the world to become a Christian state, and Etchmiadzin became its first cathedral. Only a short way away are the ruins of Zvartnots, another cathedral, built to surpass Etchmiadzin in beauty. To better understand the people and the country, a visit to these cathedrals and neighbouring historical sites is a must for visitors to Armenia.
It was long ago, in 301 AD, when St. Gregory converted the Armenian King Tiridates III to Christianity. The story, of course, is much more involved, and we’ll describe it in more detail when we show you Khor Virap Monastery. For now, we’ll visit the sites where it all began, Vagharshapat.
Tip – Although the city is formally named Vagharshapat, it is often called Etchmiadzin.
Etchmiadzin Cathedral Complex
At the turn of the century, King Tiridates III’s palace was located in Vagharshapat. According to legend, after converting the king, St. Gregory was meditating near the palace when he had a vision. In that dream, Jesus struck the hearth with a golden hammer, indicating to St. Gregory the location of the country’s first cathedral. It is on that spot that Etchmiadzin stands today. The name Etchmiadzin translates in English to “The Coming Of The Only Begotten Son”.
The remains of that 303 AD church are long gone, but remarkably, the foundation of the church we see today dates to 484 AD. Its early beginnings mean that Etchmiadzin Cathedral (formally the Mother See of Etchmiadzin) is the oldest cathedral in the world. Not only was this the site of the first cathedral, Vagharshapat was also the headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church. When Vagharshapat became a target of invasions, these offices were relocated to Dvin and then Ani. During this time the cathedral suffered neglect. After the headquarters returned to its original location in the 1400s, restorative work on the cathedral began. Since then, it has remained the administrative headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church, but the building still sustained damage when Armenia was caught in the middle of battles between the Perisian and Ottoman Empires.
The building we see today is a lovely 17th century church. Built from granite, it has four tall bell towers and a circular drum topped by a conical roof. Even after all the renovations, the layout of today’s building is the same as the original, and its cross-shaped floorplan has become the standard design for Armenian churches.
It is an Apostolic church because even before St. Gregory was in Armenia, Christianity was already spreading across the country. The first to preach the Bible were the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew in the 1st century. The Apostolic Church is therefore connected to these apostles. It is part of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, similar to the Syriac churches we saw in Mardin, Turkey.
As in all Armenian Apostolic churches, parishioners walk backward out of the church, and we had to wait until a group left before entering ourselves. Inside the cathedral, the large domed roof is elegantly painted in earthy colours with gold embellishments. Golden, framed pictures of saints hang on the stark, white walls. Underfoot is a lovely marble floor. This interior doesn’t feel hundreds of years old.
In addition to the cathedral, the large garden complex includes monastic residences, khachkars, a cemetery and offices for the Armenian Apostolic Church leaders. There is also a treasury museum inside one of the monastery buildings.
Some of the buildings are heritage, while others are obviously much newer and modern, and don’t seem to fit with the style.
Entrance to the complex is free. Entry to the treasury museum is 2,000AMD (€4.50); Opening Hours – Church hours – 7am-8pm, daily; Museum hours – 10:30am-5pm, closed Sunday.
Dress code – Men and women must cover their legs. Female parishioners covered their hair, but visitors were not asked to. Unlike in Georgia, women can wear pants. Men can not wear a hat.
In addtion to the cathedral, there are three other sites you should visit, St. Gayane Church, St. Hripsime Church and Zvartnots Cathedral.
St. Gayane Church
The unassuming St. Gayane Church is hidden behind the large Etchmiadzin complex. St. Gayane was an abbess who travelled from Rome to Armenia with a group of nuns. Because of her dedication to the group of nuns, she was martyred by King Tiridates III. After he converted to Christianity himself, Gayane was canonized as a saint by the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Surrounded by an old wall, this 7th century red stone church looks older than the 4th century cathedral. That is because it didn’t require as much rebuilding, and the main structure is mostly original. Inside, the undecorated, dark basalt walls, columns and domed ceiling make the space much darker than other churches. The only fresco that remains decorates the entryway.
Behind is an old cemetery still used today.
St. Hripsime Church
Not far away, you’ll find a heritage church that is considered one of the best examples of classical Armenian architecture. Hripsime was one of the nuns who escaped Rome with Gayane. She ran away from Rome to avoid marrying Roman Emperor Diocletian who was obsessed with the attractive young woman. When King Tiridates III met Hripsime, he also couldn’t resist her beauty. She refused to marry him and chose instead the life of a hermit nun. King Tiridates III murdered her, along with Gayane, but when he converted to Christianity, they both became martyrs. The king had a church built on the site of her death, but the one we see today is from the 7th century.
Hripsime’s tomb is beneath the church and, at times, is open to visitors, but we weren’t so lucky. There was once a monastery on the grounds, but it was destroyed by a 10th century earthquake.
Inside, the stone walls are bare, but it has pews, which we didn’t often see in Armenian churches.
Zvartnots Archeological Site
A short distance outside Vagharshapat is a picturesque and important archaeological site. Zvartnots Cathedral was built in the 7th century on the spot where St. Gregory converted the king to Christianity. The church collapsed in the 10th century, and there is a debate about the cause. Some say it was from an earthquake, while others blame it on an Arab invasion.
No matter the cause, it was not rebuilt, so instead we are left with a fantastic archaeological site to explore. The cathedral was designed to surpass Etchmiadzin in grandeur, and from what we can see today, it likely did. Throughout the ruins, you can find many examples of the details that went into the three-story round church. The most obvious are the dozens of columns topped with elaborate capitals and holding up decorated arches. Taller columns likely supported the upper level and are adorned with eagles.
The round design and use of Roman-style columns were not common in 7th century Armenia. Ultimately, though, it seems that it was not built for longevity. An on-site museum is included with the ticket and displays a few artifacts from the church. It also has a replica, which helped us appreciate the church’s unique look.
Behind the church are the ruins of a palace. It belonged to Catholicos Nerses III, a leader of the Armenian Church who funded Zvartnots Cathedral.
Entrance – 1300AMD; Opening Hours – 10am-5pm, closed Mondays. Zvartnots is only a couple of kilometers down the highway from the cathedral. To reach it you can walk, but it’s is not a pleasant stroll because you must follow the highway. You could take bus 202 or 203 and ask the driver to stop. There are also several taxis near the cathedral.
With so many important and well-restored churches in Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), it’s no surprise that they are collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Getting to Vagharshapat
Only a short drive from Yerevan, you can reach Vagharshapat by taking marshrutkas 202 or 203 from Kilikya Bus Station (Avtokayan). They leave every 30 minutes.
Vagharshapat is located in the lower middle of the map below. It is an interactive map, so you can zoom or click on a marker.
Other great day trips to consider from Yerevan are Garni/Khor Virap/Geghard, Amberd Fortress, Lake Sevan, Wine Tasting in Areni, and Tatev Monastery. Click on the links to read our posts from each area.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Armenia.
To read more of our adventures in Armenia, click here.
Coming Next – Day Trip From Yerevan – Garni Temple, Khor Virap and Geghard Monasteries
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