Day Trip to Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral St Hripsime St Gayane Zvartnots
Whilst travelling to Armenia, you may just be interested in seeing the world’s first Christian Cathedral church.
Echmiadzin is considered to be the spiritual center of all Armenians all over the world! The word itself means a place where “the only begotten son of the God descended”. This daily tour will begin by visiting St. Hripsime church, which was built on the sepulcher of a Christian nun Hripsime who fled from the Roman Empire and was killed in Armenia. This amazing building has stood upright from the day of its construction since 618 A.D, making it one of the oldest standing churches in the world. 5 minutes drive away will be our next spot: the 7th century church of St. Gayane. Gayane was the nanny of Hripsime, and shared Hripsime’s tragic fate.
After this stop, you will be able to observe the first world’s first Christian Cathedral – the Holy Echmiadzin, built in 301-304. According to the legend, Jesus Christ descended on the same spot where the Dissention Altar stands today, where Gregory the Illuminator ordered to build the church.
Inside of the Cathedral, there is a small museum which is home to many of Christian relics, including pieces from the Holy Cross and Noah’s Ark, as well as the spear with which Jesus was wounded.
On the way back to Yerevan, we will make a final stop at another beautiful 7th century temple, also included in the UNESCO heritage list. In fact, all of the churches included in the tour are listed on the UNESCO World’s Cultural Heritage Sites.
