Etchmiadzin Cathedral is considered one of the oldest Christian cathedrals in the world. This is the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the residence of the Catholicos of all Armenians.
Located in the city of Vagharshapat, Armavir region of Armenia, 20 km. west of Yerevan. Since 2000 it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
According to legend, the first Patriarch Grigor Lusavorich (Illuminator) dreamed that Christ descended from heaven with a fiery hammer in his hands and indicated the place for the construction of the cathedral. On this place in 303, where there was an ancient pagan temple, a church was founded, called Etchmiadzin, which in Armenian means “the place of the descent of the Only-begotten”.
Etchmiadzin Cathedral was built for more than one century. It was originally built of wood in the shape of a basilica. But already in the 5th century it was rebuilt, it was given a cruciform shape, crowned with a dome. In the 7th century the cathedral was rebuilt in stone.
In the 17th century, a new modern dome and a three-tiered bell tower were erected over the cathedral. In the 18th century, six-column rotundas were erected on three sides of the Cathedral.
The interior painting impresses with Byzantine luxury and is a diverse floral ornament made in orange-red and blue-lilac tones. In addition to ornaments and other decorations, the artist Nagash Hovnatanyan painted many scenes on the themes of Holy Scripture. Later, his work was restored and supplemented by his grandson Ovnatan.
In the 20th century, a thorough restoration was carried out: the columns and arches supporting the dome were strengthened, and the dome itself was lined with lead. A new altar was built from marble and the floor of the church was laid. The murals inside the temple were updated and supplemented.
A rare feature of the cathedral is that in addition to the main altar in its eastern part, there are three more altars.
Two of them are respectively located in the southern and northern parts, and the third is not so much an altar as a holy place.
In 1869, a sacristy was added to the cathedral on the east side, in which holy relics, church clothes embroidered with gold and pearls, staves and crosses of Catholicos, numerous ritual objects made of gold, silver, and ivory are kept.
Around the cathedral are the building of the Catholicosate, a school, a monastery, a winter and summer refectory, the Ghazarapat hotel, the Trdatov gates, the treasure museum (1982) of Alek and Marie Manukyan.
Excursion tours to Armenia - Travel Agency "Hot Line", www. hot. com. ua +38(044)599-46-30, +38(050)346-4599, +38(067)462-9242
Located in the city of Vagharshapat, Armavir region of Armenia, 20 km. west of Yerevan. Since 2000 it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
According to legend, the first Patriarch Grigor Lusavorich (Illuminator) dreamed that Christ descended from heaven with a fiery hammer in his hands and indicated the place for the construction of the cathedral. On this place in 303, where there was an ancient pagan temple, a church was founded, called Etchmiadzin, which in Armenian means “the place of the descent of the Only-begotten”.
Etchmiadzin Cathedral was built for more than one century. It was originally built of wood in the shape of a basilica. But already in the 5th century it was rebuilt, it was given a cruciform shape, crowned with a dome. In the 7th century the cathedral was rebuilt in stone.
In the 17th century, a new modern dome and a three-tiered bell tower were erected over the cathedral. In the 18th century, six-column rotundas were erected on three sides of the Cathedral.
The interior painting impresses with Byzantine luxury and is a diverse floral ornament made in orange-red and blue-lilac tones. In addition to ornaments and other decorations, the artist Nagash Hovnatanyan painted many scenes on the themes of Holy Scripture. Later, his work was restored and supplemented by his grandson Ovnatan.
In the 20th century, a thorough restoration was carried out: the columns and arches supporting the dome were strengthened, and the dome itself was lined with lead. A new altar was built from marble and the floor of the church was laid. The murals inside the temple were updated and supplemented.
A rare feature of the cathedral is that in addition to the main altar in its eastern part, there are three more altars.
Two of them are respectively located in the southern and northern parts, and the third is not so much an altar as a holy place.
In 1869, a sacristy was added to the cathedral on the east side, in which holy relics, church clothes embroidered with gold and pearls, staves and crosses of Catholicos, numerous ritual objects made of gold, silver, and ivory are kept.
Around the cathedral are the building of the Catholicosate, a school, a monastery, a winter and summer refectory, the Ghazarapat hotel, the Trdatov gates, the treasure museum (1982) of Alek and Marie Manukyan.
Excursion tours to Armenia - Travel Agency "Hot Line", www. hot. com. ua +38(044)599-46-30, +38(050)346-4599, +38(067)462-9242
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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