Early Christian monuments in Armenia
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin and Churches of St Gayane, St Hripsime and St Shoghakat
A view on Ararat from Etchmiadzin, collection of the National Gallery of Armenia (1895) by Yeghishe Tadevossian (1870-1936)Yerevan Biennial Art Foundation
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the worldwide Armenian Church.
The oldest written information about Etchmiadzin dates back to 685-645 BC.
Holy Etchmiadzin Cathedral , Armavir Province by Zaven SargsyanYerevan Biennial Art Foundation
Some traditions point to the location of the cathedral, noting that it was built as a place of pagan worship.
Many scholars contend Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in Armenia, and it is widely believed that it is thus the oldest Christian cathedral in the world. The cathedral was designated as a part of a UNESCO World Heritage zone in 2000.
The inscribed property is divided into three separate areas; the first includes the Mother Cathedral of Etchmiadzin and St Gayane Church. The second area comprises St Hripsime Church and St Shoghakat Church.
Frescoes on the dome, Holy Etchmiadzin Cathedral , Armavir Province by Zaven SargsyanYerevan Biennial Art Foundation
The Holy Etchmiadzin is the earliest example of a four-altar, four-pillar, domed, and cruciform church in Christian architecture.
In the 9th century, its structure and design were spread throughout Europe through the Byzantine Empire.
According to Josef Strzygowski, a Polish-Austrian art historian researching and outlining influences from the art of the Near East on the art of Europe, the Holy Etchmiadzin was a prototype for many other religious structures in Europe. According to him, Germigny-des-Prés, a 9th-century church built in France could be influenced by Etchmiadzin. Germigny was built by an architect of Armenian origin, Odo of Metz, which gives more grounds for proving this theory.
Etchmiadzin Cathedral, collection of the National Gallery of Armenia (1903) by Panos Terlemezian (1865-1941)Yerevan Biennial Art Foundation
Etchmiadzin was built between 301 and 303 D
This period was marked by Armenia adopting a new, yet not very popular religion, Christianity.
For many cultural-political reasons and a desire to carve out a new Armenian identity, the country of Armenia rushed into adopting this religion as official earlier than Rome.
Holy Etchmiadzin Cathedral , Armavir Province by Zaven SargsyanYerevan Biennial Art Foundation
Etchmiadzin has a long history of demolishing and renovating, resulting in changes in the floor plan and exterior form. Some parts of the cathedral, mainly Northern, Southern, and Western, kept the original 4th-century structure.
View on Saint Hripsime and Ararat Mountain by Zaven SargsyanYerevan Biennial Art Foundation
St Gayane, St Hripsime and St Shoghakat
These churches were built in memory of three Christian nuns Gayane, Hripsime and Shoghakat.
Fragment of a Togate Statue of Diocletian (about A.D. 295–300) by UnknownThe J. Paul Getty Museum
Bloody legend behind their creation
According to the legend Hripsime, a beautiful young nun has to flee Rome to secure herself from emperor Diocletian, whom she was forcibly married into. Abess Gayane helps her to escape.
Other nuns join them: they all leave Rome to find refuge in Armenia for a while. After receiving the tempting letter from the Roman emperor describing the beauty of the rebellious nun, the Armenian king Tirdates himself finds the woman, pays a visit to them, and also falls for the beauty of Hripsime.
Her unwillingness to give herself to a man puts her and other women under threat.
Saint Hripsime Church , collection of the National Gallery of Armenia (1897) by Vardges Surenyants , (1860-1921)Yerevan Biennial Art Foundation
The place where they were all tortured and martyred was marked by the creation of these churches.
While the Gayane and Hripsime churches were named after the exact historical personas, the Shoghakat church is dedicated to the other 38 nuns remaining nameless.
St Gayane Church, Armavir Province by Zaven SargsyanYerevan Biennial Art Foundation
St Gayane Church
Built in 630, it is the earliest example in Early Christian and Armenian architecture that combines a three-aisle basilica with a central dome.
Saint Hripsime Church, Etchmiadzin, collection of the National Gallery of Armenia (1913) by Yeghishe Tadevossian (1870-1936)Yerevan Biennial Art Foundation
This form became widespread in both Armenia and Western Asia
Different types of central-domed churches developed in the Early Middle Ages and became widespread in Armenia during the 7th century.
St. Hripsime Church, Southwestern view, Armavir Province by Zaven SargsyanYerevan Biennial Art Foundation
St Hripsime Church
This church is the perfect example of a four-apse church with intermediate niches and corner rooms.
Its form greatly impacted the later development of the design of Armenian churches.
In the 1970s, archaeological excavations were conducted in the adjacent areas of the church, discovering pre-Christian and early-Christian burials and a one-nave church.
St Shoghakat Church was built later in 1694 in the place of the 4th-century chapel where the “ray of light was dropped” upon Christian Hripsime’s martyrs.
This virtual exhibition is an homage to photographer Zaven Sargsyan and all individuals that choose creation over destruction and stay devoted to the values of humanity.
Mostly known as the personal photographer of world-famous director Sergei Paradjanov and founder of his house-museum, Zaven`s life and entire activities were dedicated to preserve and spotlight cultural treasures of Armenia.
Created in collaboration with Yerevan Biennial Arts Foundation, Zaven Sargsyan family archives and the National Gallery of Armenia.
Content creators, editors and reviewers: Anastasiia Lebedenko (Ukraine), Anush Mirzoyan (Armenia), Diana Ghazaryan (Hungary), Sona Hovhannisyan (Armenia), Yeva Kurghinyan (Armenia)
Virtual exhibition was assembled and outlined by Ella Kanegarian Berberian (Armenia)
Photographs and Artworks used from: Z. Sargsyan family archives, and the collection of the National Gallery of Armenia.
For the production and execution of this exhibition YBAF would like to thank Mrs. Lucy Kinosian for her support.
