Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the main church of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is located in the city known as Etchmiadzin (Ejmiatsin) and Vagharshapat, Armenia. Built at the start of the fourth century, it is often considered the first cathedral in ancient Armenia and is believed to be the oldest cathedral in the world.
The original church was built in the early fourth century, between 301 and 303, by Gregory the Illuminator, Armenia’s patron saint. This happened after King Tiridates III made Christianity the official religion of the country. The church was built on the site of a pagan temple, showing the shift from paganism to Christianity. The main part of the current building was constructed in 483/4 by Vahan Mamikonian after the cathedral was badly damaged during a Persian attack. From its creation until the middle of the fifth century, Etchmiadzin was the home of the Catholicos, the highest leader of the Armenian Church.
Over time, the cathedral became less important and was not well cared for. In 1441, it was restored as the main religious center and remains so today. Since then, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has served as the administrative center of the Armenian Church. In 1604, Shah Abbas I of Persia attacked the cathedral, taking relics and stones to New Julfa to weaken Armenian ties to their homeland. The cathedral has been repaired many times. Belfries were added in the second half of the seventeenth century, and in 1868, a sacristy (a room for relics and a museum) was built at the east end of the cathedral. Today, the cathedral shows styles from different periods of Armenian architecture. During the early Soviet era, the cathedral was damaged, but it was restored in the second half of the twentieth century and again after Armenia became an independent country.
As the center of Armenian Christianity, Etchmiadzin has been important to Armenia in religious, political, and cultural ways. It is a major pilgrimage site and one of the most visited places in the country. Along with nearby medieval churches, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.
Setting
The cathedral is located at the center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the main office of the Armenian Apostolic Church, in the town also called Vagharshapat or Etchmiadzin (Ejmiatsin). Nearby, in the same town, are several churches, including the seventh century St. Hripsime and St. Gayane churches, the ruined Zvartnots Cathedral, and the 17th century Shoghakat Church. These are all within short distances from the cathedral.
For much of its history, the area around the cathedral, which includes the home of the Catholicos (patriarch), was known as the Monastery of Etchmiadzin (Էջմիածնի վանք). It was once surrounded by walls 30 feet (9.1 meters) high, made of brick or cob, and had eight circular towers. Its look reminded 19th century visitors of a fortress. The monastery, a large four-sided area, had four gates that allowed people to enter.
The cathedral is—and has always been—at the center of a courtyard (a quadrangle). In the 1890s, Lynch measured the courtyard as 349 feet 6 inches by 335 feet 2 inches (106.53 meters by 102.16 meters). This made it larger than the Trinity Great Court in Cambridge, England. Lynch believed it might have been the largest courtyard in the world at that time.
- An aerial view of the cathedral and the Mother See complex from a plane
- A closer aerial view
- A map of the town of Vagharshapat (brown) and Etchmiadzin monastery (red) from the late 19th century (by Ghevont Alishan). The cathedral is labeled as 1.
- A plan of the monastery by H. F. B. Lynch.
History
In the early 400s, the Kingdom of Armenia, led by Tiridates III, became the first country in the world to make Christianity its official religion. Armenian church records say the cathedral was built between 301 and 303. It was constructed near the royal palace in Vagharshapat, which was the capital of Armenia at the time. The site was previously a pagan temple, which Alexander Sahinian dated to the Urartian period. No historical records mention a temple there before Christianity, but in the 1950s, a granite Urartian stele from the 8th–6th centuries BC was found under the main altar. An amphora also discovered there was thought to be part of a fire temple.
Agathangelos, in The History of the Armenians, wrote about the cathedral’s founding. Armenia’s patron saint, Gregory the Illuminator, saw a vision of a golden hammer falling to Earth, showing where the cathedral should be built. Later, this vision was linked to Jesus Christ, leading to the cathedral’s name, Etchmiadzin, meaning “the Descent of the Only-Begotten [Son of God].” However, the name Etchmiadzin was not used until the 15th century. Earlier sources called it the “Cathedral of Vagharshapat.” The Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin 64 days after Easter, during which a hymn written by Catholicos Sahak III in the 8th century is sung, retelling Gregory’s vision.
Malachia Ormanian suggested the cathedral was built in 303, completed in seven months, as the structure was small and possibly made partly of wood. He believed parts of the old temple might have been preserved. Vahagn Grigoryan disagreed, saying construction likely took years. He pointed to Agathangelos, who did not mention the cathedral in an event from 306, and suggested the cathedral was built between 302 and 325—the time Gregory the Illuminator was Catholicos.
Archaeological digs in 1955–56 and 1959, led by Alexander Sahinian, uncovered parts of the original 4th-century building, including older pillar bases and a narrower altar. Sahinian believed the original church was a three-naved basilica, like those in Tekor, Ashtarak, and Aparan. Other scholars, such as Suren Yeremian and Armen Khatchatrian, argued the original church was a rectangle with a dome on four pillars. Stepan Mnatsakanian thought it was a “canopy on a cross plan,” while Vahagn Grigoryan called this idea extreme, suggesting the cathedral has looked much the same for centuries.
The city of Vagharshapat and the cathedral were nearly destroyed in 363 during an invasion by Sasanian King Shapur II. Due to poor economic conditions, the cathedral was only partially restored by Catholicoi Nerses the Great (353–373) and Sahak Parthev (387–439). After Armenia was divided between the Roman and Sasanian Empires in 387, Etchmiadzin fell under Persian control. In 450, Sasanian King Yazdegerd II built a fire temple inside the cathedral, which was later uncovered under the altar during 1950s excavations.
By the late 400s, the cathedral had fallen into disrepair. Ghazar Parpetsi, a historian of the time, wrote that Vahan Mamikonian, a Persian governor, rebuilt it from the ground up in 483/4, after religious freedom struggles with Persia. Most scholars believe the church was transformed into a cruciform shape, taking its current form. The new cathedral had a square layout with a Greek cross, two chapels near the east apse, and four pillars supporting a stone dome.
Although the Catholicos moved to Dvin in the 460s–470s or 484, Etchmiadzin remained a major religious site. Renovations were done by Catholicos Komitas in 618 and Nerses III (640–661). In 982, an Arab emir reportedly removed the cathedral’s cross.
Over centuries of neglect, the cathedral deteriorated so much that Archbishop Stepanos Orbelian wrote a poem in 1300 called Lament on Behalf of the Cathedral, describing it as a “woman in mourning,” reflecting on its former glory and urging Armenians to restore it.
After the fall of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in 1375, the Catholicosate of Sis declined. The Catholicosate of Aghtamar and Syunik bishops raised Etchmiadzin’s importance. In 1441, a council voted to reestablish a catholicosate there, and Catholicos Kirakos restored the cathedral between 1441 and 1443. At that time, Etchmiadzin was under the Turkic Kara Koyunlu, but by 1502, Safavid Iran controlled parts of Armenia, including Etchmiadzin, granting the Armenian Church some rights.
Between the 16th and 17th centuries, Armenia suffered from conflicts between Persia and the Ottoman Empire. In 1604, Etchmiadzin was plundered during Shah Abbas I’s war with the Ottomans. To prevent Armenians from returning to their homeland, Shah Abbas moved the religious center to Iran, planning to destroy Etchmiadzin and relocate it to New Julfa. However, this plan was not completed due to high costs. Instead, some important stones, including the altar and the Right Arm of Gregory the Illuminator, were moved to New Julfa and placed in St. Georg Church. Fifteen stones from Etchmiadzin still remain there.
In 1627, Catholicos Movses renovated the cathedral, repairing the dome, ceiling, roof, and foundations. Monks’ cells, a guesthouse, and other buildings were added around the cathedral. A wall was also built to surround it.
Architecture
Etchmiadzin Cathedral has a cross-shaped layout with four large pillars and four rounded areas. The interior of these areas is semicircular, while the outside is many-sided. The roof is mostly flat, except for the central dome, which has a cone-shaped top on a many-sided base, and four small bell towers on top of the rounded areas.
Although the cathedral has been repaired and expanded many times over the centuries, especially in the 17th and 19th centuries, it still looks much like the building constructed in 483 or 484. The original structure from the 5th century forms the center of the cathedral, while the stone dome, towers, bell tower, and back section were added later. According to Varazdat Harutyunyan, the dome was originally made of wood and later replaced with stone. Parts of the original northern and eastern walls still remain. Alexander Sahinian said that Etchmiadzin is unique in Armenian and other architectural styles because it combines features from different periods. Christina Maranci noted that its many rebuildings make it hard to study.
In the West, the style of the cathedral has often been compared to Byzantine architecture. Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli disagreed, saying that 4th-century Armenian churches, including Etchmiadzin, are different from the Byzantine buildings of Constantinople. He believed they were local designs that borrowed some ideas from the East but were mainly influenced by Greek styles. Hewsen suggested that the main part of the church mixes elements from a Zoroastrian fire temple and a classical tomb.
The cathedral measures 33 by 30 meters (108 by 98 feet), with its dome reaching about 34 meters (112 feet) high. Though small by European standards, it was one of the largest churches of its time in Armenia. The original building is made of gray stone, while the 17th-century additions are bright red.
In the 19th century, British visitors James Bryce and H. F. B. Lynch were not impressed by the cathedral’s design. Robert Ker Porter called it "rude" compared to even simple English Gothic churches. A National Geographic writer described it as "austere and commanding," while Soviet authors called it a "massive cube with a cone on top." Robert H. Hewsen said it is not the largest or most beautiful Armenian church, but Armenians respect it greatly. The back section added in 1868 was criticized for not matching the rest of the building.
The outside has many geometric and flower patterns, as well as blind arches and round decorations showing saints.
The most important carvings are on the northern wall. One shows Saint Thecla standing and Paul the Apostle sitting on a stool. Another has an equal-armed cross with Greek writing that includes names like Arxia, Elpid, Daniel, Tirer, and Garikinis. These names are not fully understood, but some may be Armenian versions. The carvings are about 52 by 69 cm (20 by 27 inches) and 47 by 66 cm (19 by 26 inches).
Christina Maranci found it hard to date these carvings. Some experts think they were made before the Armenian alphabet was created around 405, while others believe they are from the 5th or 6th century. Vahagn Grigoryan said they were made in the early 4th century and were part of the original church built by Gregory the Illuminator. Hasratyan said these are the oldest carvings on the cathedral and among the earliest Christian Armenian sculptures.
The 17th-century bell tower once had a bell with a Tibetan Buddhist inscription. This bell was reported by travelers and scholars in the 19th century. Simon Maghakyan said the bell was taken by the Soviets in the 1930s and is now lost. A copy of the inscription appears in a book by Ghevont Alishan from 1890.
Dan Martin, a Tibetan scholar, said the bell had a Buddhist prayer that is used for blessings. He believed the bell was a holy object from Buddhism. Hewsen suggested the bell was a gift from a Mongol or Ilkhanid ruler. Martin proposed another idea: the bell might have come from a Buddhist temple in the region or from Lhasa in Tibet, brought to Armenia by merchants in the 17th century.
The inside of the cathedral has many Persian-style paintings showing flowers, birds, and scroll patterns. Bryce and Villari found the interior impressive, while Lynch called it "remarkable." Porter said the paintings were "dark and gloomy" with "poorly drawn" colors. Telfer described the interior as "gloomy" and lacking in decoration. Bryce called it "dignified" and "ancient-looking."
Stepanos Lehatsi painted the bell tower in 1664. Early paintings inside the cathedral were restored in the 18th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Armenian artists painted scenes from the Old Testament and Armenian saints. Naghash Hovnatan painted parts of the dome and the Mother of God under the altar, and these paintings still exist today. Other members of the Hovnatanian family painted throughout the 18th century, and their work continued into the 19th century.
The wooden doors of the cathedral were carved in Tiflis in 1889. The paintings were moved to museums in Armenia by Catholicos Mkrtich Khrimian in 1891. The frescoes were restored by Lydia Durnovo in 1956 and by Vardges Baghdasaryan in 1981–82. In the 1950s, the stone floor was replaced with marble.
The design of the cathedral, called a "four-apsed square with ciborium" and known as the "Etchmiadzin-type" in Armenian architecture, was rare in Armenia during the early medieval period. The now-destroyed St. Theodore Church of Bagaran, built between 624 and 631, was the only other church with a similar plan. Hovhannes Khalpakhchian said this style also appears in the Mast.
Protection and heritage designation
The cathedral and the surrounding area cover 16.4 hectares (41 acres) and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church (Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin). It was named a national monument in 1983 by the Soviet Armenian government, and this status was confirmed again by the government of Armenia in 2002. Groups made up of the Ministry of Culture and the Armenian Apostolic Church are in charge of preserving, restoring, and managing its use. In 2000, UNESCO added Etchmiadzin Cathedral, along with the churches of St. Hripsime, St. Gayane, Shoghakat, and the ruined Zvartnots Cathedral, to the list of World Heritage Sites. UNESCO states that the cathedral and churches "clearly show the changes and growth of the Armenian central-domed cross-hall style of church, which had a major impact on the region's architectural and artistic development."
Relics
The museum of the cathedral displays many items, such as manuscripts and religious objects. Important displays include the Holy Lance (Spear), relics from the apostles of Jesus and John the Baptist, and a piece of Noah's Ark. The reliquary once held items from Athenogenes of Pedachtoë, but it is not known if these items are still in the church.
Significance
Etchmiadzin is a holy place, like Temple Mount for Jews and the Golden Temple for Sikhs. In his first letter as Catholicos in 1893, Mkrtich Khrimian called the cathedral the "Zion of Ararat." In 1991, Catholicos Vazgen I referred to the cathedral as "our Solomon's Temple." The cathedral complex is sometimes called the "Armenian Vatican" because it is a major pilgrimage site for Armenians worldwide. Because the cathedral has played a key role in shaping Armenian identity, visiting Etchmiadzin is as important for cultural reasons as for religious ones. In 1910, Theodore Edward Dowling wrote that Etchmiadzin and Mount Ararat are the "two great objects of Armenian veneration."
For many centuries, Etchmiadzin was the political and national center of the Armenian people, even though they did not have a country of their own. One journalist described it as "the focal point of Armenians everywhere." Before the First Republic of Armenia was created and Yerevan was chosen as its capital in 1918, Western sources highlighted Etchmiadzin's political importance. A book published in 1920 by the British Foreign Office's Historical Section noted that Etchmiadzin "was regarded as the national capital of the Armenians."
Oldest cathedral
Etchmiadzin is often regarded as Armenia's first cathedral. Some sources also say it is the oldest cathedral in Christendom.
It has sometimes been called Armenia's first church building, but many scholars disagree. They usually say the country's first church was in Ashtishat, in the Taron region. A 2020 book about the cathedral, approved by the Armenian Church, claimed that Etchmiadzin is the first church of Christian Armenia. However, earlier Christian places like chapels or shrines existed before this. Robert W. Thomson wrote that although Etchmiadzin was not the original center of the Armenian Church (which was in Ashtishat until after the country split in 387), it was "clearly a holy shrine" from the "earliest Christian time in Armenia."
Even though the Soviet government officially supported atheism, it often highlighted the cathedral's age. A 1982 Soviet guidebook called it the "first Christian church built on the territory of the Soviet Union." In 1984, travel writer Georgi Kublitsky wrote that the cathedral is "believed by some to be the oldest extant building on Soviet territory."
Notable visitors
Early European visitors who described the cathedral at Etchmiadzin included Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (before 1668), Jean Chardin (1673), Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (around 1700), James Morier (1810–1816), Robert Ker Porter (1817–1820), Friedrich Parrot (1829), Eli Smith and H. G. O. Dwight (1829), August von Haxthausen (1843), Moritz Wagner (1843), Douglas Freshfield (1869), John Buchan Telfer (1870s), James Bryce (1876), and H. F. B. Lynch (1893).
Many important people have visited Etchmiadzin, including Russian diplomat and playwright Alexander Griboedov (1828), Russian mystic Helena Blavatsky (1849), Russian poets Valery Bryusov and Andrei Bely (1929), Fridtjof Nansen (1925), Glenn T. Seaborg (1971), Armenian American writer William Saroyan (1976), English composer Benjamin Britten, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Russian singer-songwriter Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian-American poet and essayist Joseph Brodsky, Andrei Sakharov, Cher, Alain Delon, Kim Kardashian, and others.
Religious leaders who have visited Etchmiadzin include Patriarch Cyril of Bulgaria (1967), Archbishops of Canterbury Donald Coggan (1977) and George Carey (1993), Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia (1978, 1997, 2003), Pope John Paul II (2001), Bartholomew I of Constantinople (2001), Ignatius Zakka I Iwas (2002), Patriarch Kirill of Moscow (2010), and Pope Francis (2016). During his visit in 2016, Pope Francis gave a prayer at the cathedral and called it "a witness to the history of your people and the centre from which its spirituality radiates."
Leaders of several countries, such as Russia (Vladimir Putin in 2005), France (Jacques Chirac in 2006 and Nicolas Sarkozy in 2011), Georgia (Mikheil Saakashvili in 2004, Giorgi Margvelashvili in 2014), Romania (Emil Constantinescu in 1998), Lebanon (Michel Aoun in 2018), Germany (Angela Merkel in 2018), and royalty, such as Nicholas I of Russia (1837), King Mahendra of Nepal (1958), and Prince Charles (2013), have visited the cathedral during their official or private trips to Armenia.
Cultural depictions
The coat of arms of Russian-administered Erivan (Yerevan), officially approved in 1843, included an image of the cathedral.
The Etchmiadzin monthly, the official publication of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin established in 1944, displays the cathedral on its cover page as its logo.
The Soviet Union and Armenia released postage stamps showing the cathedral in 1978 and 2009, respectively. The cathedral appears on the front side of the 50,000 dram banknote (2001) issued by Armenia.
The cathedral has been shown in paintings by Grigory Gagarin (1847) and Panos Terlemezian (1903), as well as in books written by John Mason Neale (1850), August von Haxthausen (1854), John Ussher (1865), and others.
A floor mosaic inside the Chapel of Saint Helena at Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, created by the 20th-century Israeli artist Hava Yofe, includes an image of the cathedral alongside other major Armenian sites. A relief sculpture of the cathedral was placed at the headquarters of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, located near the St. Vartan Cathedral in New York. A silver plate showing the cathedral is displayed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
In the 1991 film Mayrig, directed by French-Armenian filmmaker Henri Verneuil, scenes of the cathedral are shown when Azad Zakarian, the main character and a son of Armenian genocide survivors, is asked about his faith at a Catholic school.