If you’re
traveling through Armenia one of the most important sites you have to visit is
to the Vargharshapat region. Located 30
kilometers to the west of the capital, Yerevan, lays the cultural and spiritual
center of Armenia. The region is also
known as Etchmiadzin and translates as “the place where the Only Begotten
descended”. This area is the Armenian
equivalent to the Vatican and is the source of the Armenian identity. My colleagues at work were kind enough to
arrange a day trip to historic sites and this place was definitely the
highlight.
The Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin is huge complex and consists of the first state built
cathedral in the world, various residences, museums, a vestry, a seminary, and
a library. The entire area is well
manicured with plenty of flowers and trees carefully placed throughout the
complex. There are also numerous
statues, monuments, and kachkars (cross stones) scattered all throughout the
area too. I happened to be traveling during
the summer when all the flowers and plants were in full bloom. The complex acts as the administrative
headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Pontifical Residence of
the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians (the chief bishop and
spiritual leader). The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site as of 2000.
I entered the
complex through the Gate of Vazgen I and the first building I saw was the
Church of the Holy Archangels. Located
in the northeastern corner of the church this impressive structure was
completed in 2011 is mainly used by the deacons and students of the seminary to
hold their daily liturgical services. The
outward appearance is circular and reminds you of the tower you would see in an
ancient castle. The first thing you
notice inside is how incredibly high it is and the beams of light going through
the windows.
Afterwards I
walked past the Gevorkian Theological Seminary and Saints Vartan and Hovhannes
Baptistery to see the main highlight: the Mother Cathedral of Holy
Etchmiadzin. Built by Saint Gregory the
Illuminator in 303 A.D. this is the oldest state built cathedral in the
world. The history behind this was that
Saint Gregory had a vision of Christ descending from heaven and striking the
earth with a golden hammer to show where the cathedral should be constructed. Inside the center of the church marks a
special area where the exact spot was believed to be at.
The exact spot where God pointed to for the construction to begin.
The structure
has gone through some major renovations mostly switching from wood to stone and
other additions. The cathedral was
currently going through some renovations and I hope to return to see it without
all the scaffolding around it. The
inside is decorated with impressive décor and attention to detail. The ceilings are high and the domes are well
painted. Off to the sides are places
where you can light a candle and say a prayer.
I would highly recommend taking the tour of the
museum. The price for Armenian nationals
is 500 dram and 1,500 dram for foreign tourists. Inside the museum laid major historical
artifacts and icons. Lucikly, photography
was allowed inside so I was able to share some of the things inside there. One of the most impressive things the museum
had was a piece of fossilized wood that was allegedly taken from Noah’s Ark. The story goes was a priest had climbed up
Mount Ararat and took a piece of history’s most famous ark and then returned
down with it. Another amazing piece of
history in the museum was the spear used to pierce Christ on the cross to
verify if he was dead. Other amazing
pieces of Armenian history were there too but you should go see the rest for
yourself.
I left the
complex by walking through the Gate of Saint Gregory. This massive stone gate is an architectural
beauty and its worth to see it from various angles to see the various
details.
The entire
experience at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin was amazing and historic. This area is such a source of pride and
Armenian culture and identity. It’s safe
to say that Armenians worldwide will always point out that they were the first
nation to adopt Christianity and wear it as a badge of honor. If you visit this place and then meet someone
throughout the Armenian diaspora it’s a great ice breaker and way to get a
conversation going.
Happy
traveling…
