If you are in
Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, for a few days and want to see the surrounding
sites then you must take a few minutes to check out Saint Hripsime Church
located in the city of Echmiadzin, just about 30 kilometers outside of
Yerevan. Inside this holy city lays a
church dedicated to one of the first Christian martyrs of Armenia. St. Hripsime’s burial vault is located here
and the church itself began construction in 395 A.D. and finally completed in
618 A.D. by Komitas Catholicos. This is also one of the oldest surviving churches in Armenia.
The historical
and cultural significance of this church began when Armenia was converting to
Christianity. Hripsime and her fellow
abbesses were missionaries in Rome when Emperor Diocletian spotted her youth
and beauty and demanded that they wed.
Rather than marry him, Hripsime, and her close abbess, Gayane, and three
dozen other nuns fled Rome and found shelter in Armenia.
According to 5th
century Armenian historian Agathangelos, the pagan Armenian King Trdat received
a letter from the Roman Emperor detailing her youth and beauty. King Trdat would later discover their hiding
place and eventually fell in love with her and later Gayane. Due to her marriage refusal, Hripsime was
eventually captured, tortured repeatedly, and eventually martyred at the
location of where the church stands today.
In her last hours, Gayane told her to “be of good cheer, and stand firm”
in her faith. King Trdat eventually let
go of his pagan routes and converted to Christianity and made it the official
religion of his kingdom.
St. Hripsime
Church lies on the eastern side of Echmiadzin city and is one of the finest
works of Armenian architecture of the classical period. I was able to visit this place at the
beginning of autumn and the weather was great with a clear view of Mt. Ararat
off in the distance. I visited this
place on a Sunday and it was busy with activity as multiple weddings were
occurring as well as baptisms.
The first thing
I noticed was the immense bell tower attached to the western façade of the
church that was recently attached in 1780 A.D.
There is a wonderful garden on the grounds and off to the eastern side
you’ll notice the ancient khachkars (cross stones) and tombs. Once you step inside your eyes are
immediately drawn upwards towards the large dome in the center and a large
chandelier. To the left side you’ll see
where holy water is used to perform baptisms.
Next to it you go down stairs and enter a small room with large brick
tablets with old Armenian language carved in it. Turn to the right and go down a few more
stairs and you enter the burial chamber of St. Hripsime. A painting of her is decorated on her tomb
and fresh flowers are delivered to her daily.
Once you exit
and step back in the main hall you can’t help but admire the tetraconch architecture
and design of the church. The curves and
symmetry leave an imprint on your sense.
I managed to witness a wedding and baptism while I was there so it made
the experience a little nicer to me.
St. Hripsime
Church became an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 and the city of Etchmiadzin
is full of these amazing sites.
Definitely check out St. Gayane Church, Zvartnots Cathedral, and the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin if you are in this area. They are all within walking distance of each
other and definitely should be added to your To Visit List.
Happy
traveling.
