Echmiadzin – Hripsime – Shoghakat – Gayane – Zvartnots

• St. Echmiadzin Cathedral  is not far from Yerevan. This place is worshiped by Armenians all over the world, because here is the center of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Echmiadzin, the former name of which is Vagharshapat, was founded in the first half of the II century on the site of ancient colony Vardgesavan. Since 163, after the destruction of Artashat by the Romans, the town has become the political, cultural, and later the religious and enlightening center of the country. In 301 Christianity became the state religion in Armenia. According to a legend, the first patriarch Grigor Lusavorich had a vision as the only begotten, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven with a flaming hammer in his hands and indicated the place for building the Cathedral.  There, where was an ancient pagan temple, in 303 was built the church, named Echmiadzin, which in Armenian means “Descent of the Only Begotten Son".

• St. Hripsime Church is located before the entrance to Echmiadzin stands a magnificent St. Hripsime Temple. Hripsime is the name of a martyr, whose grave is located in the tomb, under the altar. On the site of her death in the IV century A.C. was built a chapel, and in the VII century Catholicos Komitas erected a temple. Hripsime temple is a classic example of a cruciform central-dome structure. 

• St. Shoghakat Church. Shoghakat is the name of one of the 40 martyrs, whose grave is also under the altar. It is located not far from the St. Hripsime Church. On the site, where the temple is erected, according to a legend, was a winepress, standing in the suburb of Vagharshapat in the environment of vineyards. Here found a refuge virgin-christians, who were escaping from Rome. One of the companions wasn’t able to follow them due to her illness, where they found their death with Hripsime. She was devoted to martyrdom in the Tabernacle.  According to a blindly accepted belief, the temple got its name from the name of a virgin, who perished there. However, the name of the martyr, according to а legend, is Marine. The name ‘’Shoghakat’’ is connected with the vision of Grigor Lusavorich and means ‘’descending ray’’. Though the church was built in the XVII century, it reproduces traits of ancient dome churches.

• St. Gayane Church is located  on south from St. Etchmiadzin. It was built in 630 by the designation of Catholicos Ezra, on the site of a chapel, erected in the place, where, according to the same legend, was buried Gayane, the abbess of virgin-christians and the governess of Hripsime, who also accepted martyrdom and, like Hripsime, was convicted to a rank of saints. The dome basilica differs with its clarity of composition and solemnity of the interior. In 1652 the Church was capitally renovated, and in 1683 a gallery, the burial place of hierarchs of the Armenian Church, adjoined its western facade. Above the western entrance remained a mural of the XVII century about the birth of Jesus Christ. In the southern aisle of the temple, near the altar apse, the relics of Hripsime are at rest.

• Zvartnots Temple. The construction of the Temple of Watching Forces began in 641-643 and had been conducting for 20 years. The initiator of the construction was Catholicos  Nerses III the Builder (Shinarar), who engaged masters from ancient Armenian town Dvin, a city which was famous for its beauty. Extant to our days remains of  Zvartnots are witnessing the glory of the building. It rose on the platform, around which was a stepped pedestal, partially remained. By its project, it resembles a cross, inscribed in a circle.