Ejmiatsin, Armenia
Encyclopedia
Vagharshapat commonly known as Ejmiatsin in Eastern Armenian and Echmiadzin in Western Armenian , is the fourth-largest city in Armenia
and the spiritual centre of the Armenians
, as it is the seat of the Catholicos
of All Armenians, the head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church
. It is the most populous city in Armavir province, located about 18 km west of Yerevan
, 25 km east of the regional centre of Armavir
, only 10 km north of the Armenia-Turkish border. The 1989 census counted the population of Ejmiatsin as 61,000; it has declined considerably since: 58,388 in the 2001 census, and an estimated 56,757 in 2008.
. It is located in Eastern Armenia
to the center-west of the country in the north-eastern extremity of Ararat
Valley, in Kasagh River basin. Historically, Vagharshapat is situated at the heart of the Armenian Highland
, in Aragatsotn canton (Armenian: Արագածոտն գաւառ Aragatsotn gavar, not to be confused with the current Aragatsotn Province) of Ayrarat
province, within Armenia Major. The city has an average elevation of 853 meters above sea level with a dry continental climate
.
, Shresh hill and Mokhrablur, date back to the neolithic
period. The first written records about Vagharshapat were found in the inscriptions left by the Araratian
king Rusa II
(685-645 BC), where it was mentioned as the Valley of Kuarliny. According to Movses Khorenatsi, the oldest name of Vagharshapat was probably Artemid, derived from the ancient Greek
deity Artemis
. It was renamed Avan Vardgesi (Town of Vardges) or Vardgesavan (Վարդգէսաւան) after being replenished by prince Vardges during the reign of king Orontes I Sakavakyats
of Armenia (570-560 BC).
In the first half of the 1st century, during the reign of the Armenian Arshakuni
king Vagharsh I (117-144), the old town of Vardgesavan was renovated and renamed Vagharshapat (Վաղարշապատ); this is the official name of the city. The original name, as preserved by Byzantine historian; Procopius
(Persian Wars), was Valashabad -"Valash/Balash city" named after king Balash/Valash/Valarsh of Armenia. The name evolved into its later form by the shift in the medial L into a Gh, which is common in Armenian language.
Khorenatsi mentions that the town of Vardges was totally rebuilt and fenced by Vagharsh I to become known as Noarakaghak (The New City) or Vagharshapat.
The city was the capital of the Ashakuni Kingdom of Armenia between 120-330 AD and remained the country's most important city until the end of the 4th century AD. When Christianity became the state religion of Armenia, Vagharshapat gradually came to be known as Ejmiatsin, after the name of the Mother Cathedral. Starting from 301, the city has become the spiritual centre of all the Armenian nation, being the home of the Armenian Catholicosate, one of the oldest religious organisations in the world.
Vagharshapat was home to one of the oldest schools, established by Saint Mashtots, and the first manuscripts library in Armenia, founded in 480 AD. Starting from the 6th century, the city became less important, especially after the transfer of the seat of the Catholicosate to Dvin
in 452. With the foundation of the Bagratuni Kingdom of Armenia
in 885, it was revived.
After the fall of the Bagratuni dynasty
in 1045, the city gradually became an insignificant place until 1441, when the seat of the Armenian Catholicosate was transferred from the Cilician
town of Sis
back to Etchmiadzin. During the more than 150 years of Turkic rule, the city was called Uchkilisa (Üçkilise, "Three churches" in Turkish language).
Shresh Hill' -or the Kond of Ghugo, as it was called by the local population- is located 500 meters north-east of the current city of Ejmiatsin, on the way to Oshakan
. This artificial hill of 123 meters diameter was first excavated in 1870. In 1913 and 1928, the area was excavated by archeologist Yervand Lalayan
. Large-scale excavations were conducted in Shresh Hill and the nearby sites of Metsamor and Mokhrablur between 1945-1950.
as a vaulted basilica
in 301-303, when Armenia had just adopted Christianity as a state religion (the first such in world history). The church was enlarged on occasion, notably in 480, 618 and 1658.
, the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the worldwide Armenian Apostolic Church
and the Pontifical Residence of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
The main Etchmiadzin Cathedral is surrounded with many structures built at several times throughout the centuries. Most buildings are of great architectural significance, such as the old and new Pontifical Residences, the Chancellery or the Divanatoon, the Gate of King Trdat
, Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury Museum (1982), Khrimian Museum, Yeremian Monastic cells, the old Seminary building, the Clock Tower, the Bookstore, etc.
Gevorkian Theological Seminary
is a theological school-college of the Armenian Apostolic Church
founded by Catholicos Gevork IV in 1874 and found in the complex.
World Heritage Site
s.
atop the original mausoleum, built by Catholicos Sahak the Great in 395, which contained the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsimé.
Meaning "the drop of light"), Shoghagat Church is a domed single-nave basilica, completed in 1694 by prince Aghamal Sorotetsi during the time of Catholicos Nahabed I
. Built with red and black tufa
stones, the church was erected on the remains of a 6th-century basilica. Adjacent to Shoghakat, the remains of a 5th-century small chapel could be found.
Zvartnots is a ruined 7th century circular Armenian cathedral built by the order of Catholicos Nerses III the Builder
in 641-653, located at the eastern edge of current Vagharshapat.
Zvartnots was a majestic cathedral famous for its unique design, dedicated to Saint George
, built at the place where a meeting between king Tiridates III and Saint Gregory the Illuminator
was supposed to have taken place.
In 930 AD, the church was ruined by an earthquake, and remained buried until its rediscovery in the early 20th century. The site was excavated between 1900 and 1907, uncovering the foundations of the cathedral as well as the remains of the Pontifical palace and a winery.
is one of the most famous educational institutions of the Republic of Armenia. Other educational institutions include Grigor Lusavorich University and the state intermediate college of vocational education. There are 14 public education schools, 8 kindergartens and 2 musical schools operating in the city.
Vagharshapat Echmiadzin was the city's only football club; it made its debut in the Armenian Premier League
as Zvartnots Echmiadzin in 1992. The club was dissolved in early 2006 and is currently inactive from professional football.
The "Ejmiatsin Day" is celebrated on 8 October of every year since 2008. According to tradition, Mesrop Mashtots brought the newly created Armenian alphabet
to Vagharshapat on 8 October 405.
(OWHC) since 2007.
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and the spiritual centre of the Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, as it is the seat of the Catholicos
Catholicos
Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases is borne by the designated head of an autonomous church, in which case the holder might have other titles such as Patriarch...
of All Armenians, the head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
. It is the most populous city in Armavir province, located about 18 km west of Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, 25 km east of the regional centre of Armavir
Armavir, Armenia
Armavir is a city located in western Armenia. The 1989 census reported that the city had a total population of 46,900, but this has declined considerably: the 2001 census counted 32,034; estimate for 2008 is 26,387. It is the capital of the Armavir province . The city of Armavir in Russia, founded...
, only 10 km north of the Armenia-Turkish border. The 1989 census counted the population of Ejmiatsin as 61,000; it has declined considerably since: 58,388 in the 2001 census, and an estimated 56,757 in 2008.
Geography
Vagharshapat (Ejmiatsin) is the biggest satellite city of Yerevan and the 4th largest in Armenia, close to Zvartnots International AirportZvartnots International Airport
Zvartnots International Airport is located near Zvartnots, west of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. The airport was built in 1961. It is now the busiest airport in Armenia and the Caucasus. The draftsmen of the airport included architects M. Khachikyan, A. Tarkhanyan, J. Sheqhlyan, L....
. It is located in Eastern Armenia
Eastern Armenia
Eastern Armenia or Caucasian Armenia was the portion of Ottoman Armenia and Persian Armenia that was ceded to the Russian Empire following the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829...
to the center-west of the country in the north-eastern extremity of Ararat
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey. It has two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat .The Ararat massif is about in diameter...
Valley, in Kasagh River basin. Historically, Vagharshapat is situated at the heart of the Armenian Highland
Armenian Highland
The Armenian Highland is the central-most and highest of three land-locked plateaus that together form the northern sector of the Middle East...
, in Aragatsotn canton (Armenian: Արագածոտն գաւառ Aragatsotn gavar, not to be confused with the current Aragatsotn Province) of Ayrarat
Ayrarat
Ayrarat was a province of old Armenia . The main city was Oshakan. It is believed that the name Ayrarat is the Armenian equivalent of the toponym Urartu ....
province, within Armenia Major. The city has an average elevation of 853 meters above sea level with a dry continental climate
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
.
History
The territory of ancient Vagharshapat and the surrounding areas has been inhabited since the 3rd millenium BC. Many sites, such as MetsamorMetsamor site
The site of Metsamor Castle, near the Armenian town of Metsamor has been populated from the 5th millennium BC until the 18th century AD. The excavations of thetombs of Metsamor castle began in 1965. Arkuni town is noted for its observatory and temple...
, Shresh hill and Mokhrablur, date back to the neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period. The first written records about Vagharshapat were found in the inscriptions left by the Araratian
Urartu
Urartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
king Rusa II
Rusa II
Rusa II was king of Urartu between around 680 BC and 639 BC. It was during his reign that the massive fortress complex, Karmir-Blur, was constructed....
(685-645 BC), where it was mentioned as the Valley of Kuarliny. According to Movses Khorenatsi, the oldest name of Vagharshapat was probably Artemid, derived from the ancient Greek
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
deity Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
. It was renamed Avan Vardgesi (Town of Vardges) or Vardgesavan (Վարդգէսաւան) after being replenished by prince Vardges during the reign of king Orontes I Sakavakyats
Orontes I Sakavakyats
Orontes I Sakavakyats or Yervand I Sakavakyats Armenian King of Orontid Dynasty reigning in the period between 570 BC – 560 BC.Orontes was called Sakavakyats or "short living" , but not because of short life, but because of the short period of his reign, and because he passed the throne to his...
of Armenia (570-560 BC).
In the first half of the 1st century, during the reign of the Armenian Arshakuni
Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia
The Arsacid dynasty or Arshakuni dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Armenia from 54 AD to 428 AD. Formerly a branch of the Iranian Parthian Arsacids, they became a distinctly Armenian dynasty. Arsacid Kings reigned intermittently throughout the chaotic years following the fall of the Artaxiad Dynasty...
king Vagharsh I (117-144), the old town of Vardgesavan was renovated and renamed Vagharshapat (Վաղարշապատ); this is the official name of the city. The original name, as preserved by Byzantine historian; Procopius
Procopius
Procopius of Caesarea was a prominent Byzantine scholar from Palestine. Accompanying the general Belisarius in the wars of the Emperor Justinian I, he became the principal historian of the 6th century, writing the Wars of Justinian, the Buildings of Justinian and the celebrated Secret History...
(Persian Wars), was Valashabad -"Valash/Balash city" named after king Balash/Valash/Valarsh of Armenia. The name evolved into its later form by the shift in the medial L into a Gh, which is common in Armenian language.
Khorenatsi mentions that the town of Vardges was totally rebuilt and fenced by Vagharsh I to become known as Noarakaghak (The New City) or Vagharshapat.
The city was the capital of the Ashakuni Kingdom of Armenia between 120-330 AD and remained the country's most important city until the end of the 4th century AD. When Christianity became the state religion of Armenia, Vagharshapat gradually came to be known as Ejmiatsin, after the name of the Mother Cathedral. Starting from 301, the city has become the spiritual centre of all the Armenian nation, being the home of the Armenian Catholicosate, one of the oldest religious organisations in the world.
Vagharshapat was home to one of the oldest schools, established by Saint Mashtots, and the first manuscripts library in Armenia, founded in 480 AD. Starting from the 6th century, the city became less important, especially after the transfer of the seat of the Catholicosate to Dvin
Dvin
Dvin was a large commercial city and the capital of early medieval Armenia. It was situated north of the previous ancient capital of Armenia, the city of Artaxata, along the banks of the Metsamor River, 35 km to the south of modern Yerevan...
in 452. With the foundation of the Bagratuni Kingdom of Armenia
Bagratuni Kingdom of Armenia
The medieval Kingdom of Armenia, also known as Bagratid Armenia , was an independent state established by Ashot I Bagratuni in 885 following nearly two centuries of foreign domination of Greater Armenia under Arab Umayyad and Abbasid rule...
in 885, it was revived.
After the fall of the Bagratuni dynasty
Bagratuni Dynasty
The Bagratuni, Bagratid or alternatively Pakradouni royal dynasty of Armenia was a royal family whose branches formerly ruled many regional polities, including the Armenian lands of Sper|presently Ispir in Tayk Province of the Armenian Kingdom, Bagrevand in Ayrarat Province of the Armenian...
in 1045, the city gradually became an insignificant place until 1441, when the seat of the Armenian Catholicosate was transferred from the Cilician
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
town of Sis
Kozan, Adana
Kozan is a city in Adana Province, Turkey, 68 km north of the city of Adana, in the northern section of the Çukurova plain. The city is the capital of Kozan district. The Kilgen Stream, a tributary of the Ceyhan River , flows through Kozan crossing the plain south into the Mediterranean Sea....
back to Etchmiadzin. During the more than 150 years of Turkic rule, the city was called Uchkilisa (Üçkilise, "Three churches" in Turkish language).
The archeological site of ancient Vagharshapat
According to Movses Khorenatsi's History of Armenia and as a result of several archeological researches conducted in the area, the most probable location of the ancient city of Vagharshapat is the area of Shresh Hill near Kasagh River.Shresh Hill' -or the Kond of Ghugo, as it was called by the local population- is located 500 meters north-east of the current city of Ejmiatsin, on the way to Oshakan
Oshakan
This article is about a town in Armenia. For the city in Japan, see Osaka.Oshakan is a village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia located 8 kilometers southwest from Ashtarak...
. This artificial hill of 123 meters diameter was first excavated in 1870. In 1913 and 1928, the area was excavated by archeologist Yervand Lalayan
Yervand Lalayan
Yervan Lalayan , ethnographer, archeologist, folklorist. He was also the founder and the first director of the History Museum of Armenia from 1919 to 1927....
. Large-scale excavations were conducted in Shresh Hill and the nearby sites of Metsamor and Mokhrablur between 1945-1950.
Etchmiadzin Cathedral
Historically, the focal point of the city is the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, ( Mayr Tajar Surb Ejmiatsin ) which is one of the oldest churches in the world. Originally known as the Holy Mother of God Church ( Surb Astvatsatsin Yekeghetsi), it was first built by Saint Gregory the IlluminatorGregory the Illuminator
Saint Gregory the Illuminator or Saint Gregory the Enlightener is the patron saint and first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church...
as a vaulted basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
in 301-303, when Armenia had just adopted Christianity as a state religion (the first such in world history). The church was enlarged on occasion, notably in 480, 618 and 1658.
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin complex
The Mother Cathedral is found in the complex of Mother See of Holy EtchmiadzinMother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the worldwide Armenian Apostolic Church and the Pontifical Residence of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians....
, the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the worldwide Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
and the Pontifical Residence of the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.
The main Etchmiadzin Cathedral is surrounded with many structures built at several times throughout the centuries. Most buildings are of great architectural significance, such as the old and new Pontifical Residences, the Chancellery or the Divanatoon, the Gate of King Trdat
Tiridates III of Armenia
Tiridates III or Diritades III was the king of Arsacid Armenia , and is also known as Tiridates the Great ; some scholars incorrectly refer to him as Tiridates IV as a result of the fact that Tiridates I of Armenia reigned twice)...
, Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury Museum (1982), Khrimian Museum, Yeremian Monastic cells, the old Seminary building, the Clock Tower, the Bookstore, etc.
Gevorkian Theological Seminary
Gevorkian Theological Seminary
Gevorkian Theological Seminary is a theological school-college of the Armenian Apostolic Church founded by Catholicos Gevork IV in 1874. It is located in the city of Vagharshapat within the complex of the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin, Republic of Armenia.-History:During the tenure of Catholicos...
is a theological school-college of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
founded by Catholicos Gevork IV in 1874 and found in the complex.
Other churches
Apart from the Mother Cathedral, Vagharshapat contains other important Armenian churches and cathedrals. The Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, the Churches of Saint Hripsime, Saint Gayane and Saint Shoghakat, and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots are listed among the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
s.
Saint Hripsime Church
Built in 618, Saint Hripsime Church survives basically unchanged. It is considered one of the oldest surviving churches in Armenia, known for its fine architecture of the classical period, which influenced many other Armenian churches. The church was erected in 618 by Catholicos GomidasGomidas
Gomidas, also known as Komitas, bishop of Taron, was the Catholicos of Armenia from 615 through 628. He is also known to have been a hymn writer. He pulled down the original chapel and rebuilt the St. Hripsime Church at Etchmiadzin as it is seen today....
atop the original mausoleum, built by Catholicos Sahak the Great in 395, which contained the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsimé.
Saint Gayane Church
Built in 630 by Catholicos Ezra I, Saint Gayane Church is distinguished by its harmonious proportions. Its design remained unchanged despite partial renovations of the dome and some ceilings in 1652.Saint Shoghakat Church
Meaning "the drop of light"), Shoghagat Church is a domed single-nave basilica, completed in 1694 by prince Aghamal Sorotetsi during the time of Catholicos Nahabed I
Nahabed I of Armenia
Catholicos Nahabed I of Edessa was the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 1691 and 1705.He was a virtuous man of meek disposition. He made many improvements to Etchmiadzin during his reign and attempted to reunite his countrymen...
. Built with red and black tufa
Tufa
Tufa is a variety of limestone, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from ambient temperature water bodies. Geothermally heated hot-springs sometimes produce similar carbonate deposits known as travertine...
stones, the church was erected on the remains of a 6th-century basilica. Adjacent to Shoghakat, the remains of a 5th-century small chapel could be found.
Zvartnots Cathedral
Zvartnots is a ruined 7th century circular Armenian cathedral built by the order of Catholicos Nerses III the Builder
Nerses III the Builder
Nerses III the Builder was the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 641 and 661. He was originally from the village of Ishkhan in Tayk...
in 641-653, located at the eastern edge of current Vagharshapat.
Zvartnots was a majestic cathedral famous for its unique design, dedicated to Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
, built at the place where a meeting between king Tiridates III and Saint Gregory the Illuminator
Gregory the Illuminator
Saint Gregory the Illuminator or Saint Gregory the Enlightener is the patron saint and first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church...
was supposed to have taken place.
In 930 AD, the church was ruined by an earthquake, and remained buried until its rediscovery in the early 20th century. The site was excavated between 1900 and 1907, uncovering the foundations of the cathedral as well as the remains of the Pontifical palace and a winery.
Education and sports
Gevorkian Theological SeminaryGevorkian Theological Seminary
Gevorkian Theological Seminary is a theological school-college of the Armenian Apostolic Church founded by Catholicos Gevork IV in 1874. It is located in the city of Vagharshapat within the complex of the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin, Republic of Armenia.-History:During the tenure of Catholicos...
is one of the most famous educational institutions of the Republic of Armenia. Other educational institutions include Grigor Lusavorich University and the state intermediate college of vocational education. There are 14 public education schools, 8 kindergartens and 2 musical schools operating in the city.
Vagharshapat Echmiadzin was the city's only football club; it made its debut in the Armenian Premier League
Armenian Premier League
The Armenian Premier League is the top football competition in Armenia. From 1936 to 1991, the competition was held as a regional tournament within the USSR. After independence, the Football Federation of Armenia has been the unit in charge. The seasons run from spring to fall...
as Zvartnots Echmiadzin in 1992. The club was dissolved in early 2006 and is currently inactive from professional football.
The "Ejmiatsin Day" is celebrated on 8 October of every year since 2008. According to tradition, Mesrop Mashtots brought the newly created Armenian alphabet
Armenian alphabet
The Armenian alphabet is an alphabet that has been used to write the Armenian language since the year 405 or 406. It was devised by Saint Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian linguist and ecclesiastical leader, and contained originally 36 letters. Two more letters, օ and ֆ, were added in the Middle Ages...
to Vagharshapat on 8 October 405.
International relations
Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin) is a member of the Organization of World Heritage CitiesOrganization of World Heritage Cities
The Organization of World Heritage Cities was founded on September 8, 1993 in Fez, Morocco. As of December 31, 2007, the organization was made up of 233 cities in which are located sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage List...
(OWHC) since 2007.
Sister cities
Currently, Vagharshapat-Ejmiatsin has 6 sister cities:| City | Region | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issy-les-Moulineaux Issy-les-Moulineaux Issy-les-Moulineaux is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. On 1 January 2003, Issy-les-Moulineaux became part of the Communauté d'agglomération Arc de Seine along with the other communes of Chaville, Meudon, Vanves and Ville-d'Avray... |
 Île-de-France (région) |
 Early Modern France |
1989 |
| Petrozavodsk Petrozavodsk Petrozavodsk is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some . The city is served by Petrozavodsk Airport. Municipally, it is incorporated as Petrozavodsky Urban Okrug . Population:... |
 Republic of Karelia |
 Russia |
2004 |
| Fresno Fresno Fresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León... |
 California |
 United States |
2009 |
| Sergiyev Posad Sergiyev Posad Sergiyev Posad is a city and the administrative center of Sergiyevo-Posadsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia. It grew in the 15th century around one of the greatest of Russian monasteries, the Trinity Lavra established by St. Sergius of Radonezh. The town status was granted to it in 1742... |
 Moscow Oblast |
Russia |
2010 |
| Hadrut Hadrut (town) Hadrut is a town in the Khojavend Rayon of Azerbaijan. It is also the capital of Hadrut Province of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.- References :* – World-Gazetteer.com*... |
 Nagorno-Karabakh Republic |
 Azerbaijan |
2010 |
| Martakert | Nagorno-Karabakh Republic |
Azerbaijan |
2010 |
See also
- Armenian Apostolic ChurchArmenian Apostolic ChurchThe Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
- Vagharshapat F.C. - Echmiadzin football club
- Echmiadzin Gospels
External links
- Armenia Photos: The Holy City of Etchmiadzin - by East-Site.com
- Etchmiadzin Old Photos - by ChurchInArmenia.com