Echmiadzin Cathedral is the main spiritual and religious shrine of Armenia, as well as one of the oldest Christian churches in the world. It is located in the city of Vagharshapat, 20 kilometers east of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Tourists combine an excursion to the Echmiadzin Cathedral and other shrines of Vagharshapat with a visit to the Zvartnots Temple and the Khorvirap Monastery.
The cathedral was founded in 303 by Gregory the Illuminator. The construction of the temple was initiated by Tsar Trdat III and became a symbol of the adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia. Since then, the cathedral has become the center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, as well as the place of the coronation of Armenian monarchs.
Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion. The official date is 303, some sources call the date 321. In any case, it happened earlier than in other countries. In Byzantium, Christianity became the state religion only in 380.
History of Christianity in Armenia
The city of Vagharshapat became the center of Christianity in Armenia as events related to the girl Rapsime and King Trdat III took place here. According to legend, at the same time, a community of 37 Christian girls lived in the vicinity of Rome, among whom was a girl named Rapsime. Their abbess was Saint Gayane. Rapsime was famous for her extraordinary beauty. When the Emperor Diocletian saw her, he immediately decided to marry her. She did not agree, and all the girls fled from Rome.
They had a vision of the Virgin Mary, who told them to go to the Ararat Valley. They settled in Armenia near the town of Vagharshapat. However, Diocletian sent a message to his ally King Trdat, demanding to capture the girls and bring them back to Rome.
When King Trdat III saw Rapsime, he also decided to marry her. But she refused him, too. Then he ordered to kill all the girls. They were stoned to death, and King Trdat fell into madness. His sister said that only Gregory the Illuminator, who by that time had been languishing in prison for 13 years on the site of the Monastery of Khor Virap, could cure him.
Gregory was brought to the tsar and after prayer Trdat was immediately healed. After that, the tsar decided to make Christianity the state religion. Gregory the Illuminator became the first catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church in 301.
According to legend, the construction site of the first Christian church in Armenia was indicated by Jesus Christ himself. He appeared with a hammer in his hand in a dream to Gregory the Illuminator and struck the ground where there used to be a pagan temple in Vagharshapat. In the morning, Gregory told King Trdat about this dream, and he ordered the construction of a temple to begin on this site. The word "Etchmiadzin" in Armenian means "the only begotten descended".
Architecture of the Echmiadzin Cathedral
The Echmiadzin Cathedral is built in the traditional Armenian style and consists of three main elements - the narthex, the main temple and the altar. The narthex symbolizes the earthly world, the main temple - the spiritual world, and the altar - the heavenly world. The first Esmiadzin temple was built of wood in the form of a basilica, but the 7th century Echmiadzin Cathedral was built in stone.
Throughout its history, the cathedral has been repeatedly destroyed and restored. In 1679, the cathedral was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake, but was rebuilt within a few years. In Soviet times, the cathedral was closed and used as a museum, but after Armenia gained independence in 1991, it again became an christian temple.
Many relics are kept in the cathedral, including the Spear of Longinus, which, according to legend, Jesus Christ was pierced, as well as a particle of Noah`s Ark. These relics attract many pilgrims from all over the world who come to Etchmiadzin to worship. Today, the Echmiadzin Cathedral is one of the most visited sights of Armenia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
