Vagharshapat ( ) is the 5th-largest city in

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

and the most populous municipal community of

Armavir Province Armavir (, ), is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''marz'') in the western part of Armenia. Located in the Ararat plain dominated by Mount Ararat from the south and Mount Aragats from the north, the province's capital is the tow ...

, located about west of the capital

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...

, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is commonly known as Ejmiatsin (also spelled Echmiadzin or Etchmiadzin, , ), which was its official name between 1945 and 1995. It is still commonly used colloquially and in official bureaucracy, a case of

dual naming Dual naming is the adoption of an official place name that combines two earlier names, or uses both names, often to resolve a disagreement over which of the two individual names is more appropriate. In some cases, the reasons are political. Som ...

. The city is best known as the location of

Etchmiadzin Cathedral Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the Mother church#Church as a building, mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located in the city Dual naming, dually known as Etchmiadzin (Ejmiatsin) and Vagharshapat, Armenia. It is #Oldest cathedral, usuall ...

and

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin (), known in Armenian as simply the Mother See (Մայր Աթոռ, ''Mayr At’oř''), is the governing body of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is headquartered around Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Vagharshapat (Etc ...

, the center of the

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

. It is thus unofficially known in Western sources as a "

holy city A holy city is a city important to the history or faith of a specific religion. Such cities may also contain at least one headquarters complex (often containing a religious edifice, seminary, shrine, residence of the leading cleric of the religi ...

" and in Armenia as the country's "spiritual capital". It was one of the major cities and a

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

of the ancient Kingdom of Greater Armenia. Reduced to a small town by the early 20th century, it experienced large expansion during the Soviet period becoming, effectively, a suburb of Yerevan. Its population stands just over 37,000 based on 2016 estimates.

Etymology

According to

Movses Khorenatsi Movses Khorenatsi ( 410–490s AD; , ) was a prominent Armenians, Armenian historian from late antiquity and the author of the ''History of Armenia (book), History of the Armenians''. Movses's ''History of the Armenians'' was the first attempt at ...

, the area of Vagharshapat was known as ''Artimed'' (Արտիմէդ), derived from the

ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

deity

Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...

. Later, it was renamed ''Avan Vardgesi'' (, "Town of Vardges") or ''Vardgesavan'' () by Prince Vardges Manouk who rebuilt the settlement near the shores of Kasagh River, during the reign of King Orontes I Sakavakyats of Armenia (570–560 BC). However, in his first book, ''Wars of Justinian'', the Byzantine historian

Procopius Procopius of Caesarea (; ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; ; – 565) was a prominent Late antiquity, late antique Byzantine Greeks, Greek scholar and historian from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman general Belisarius in Justinian I, Empe ...

refers to the city as ''Valashabad'' (Balashabad), named after king Vologases I of Armenia. The name evolved into its later form by the shift of the medial ''l'' into a ''gh'', which is common in the Armenian language.

mentioned that the town of Vardges was entirely rebuilt and fenced by King Vagharsh I to become known as ''Norakaghak'' (, "New City") and later ''Vagharshapat''. ''Ejmiatsin'' (''Etchmiadzin'', ''Ēĵmiacin'') literally means "the descent of the Only-Begotten" or "the Only-Begotten descended" (from “the descent” and “the Only-Begotten”), referring to how St. Gregory had a vision of Jesus (the Only-Begotten Son of God) descending to the place and marking it as where Gregory should erect churches.

History

Early history

The territory of ancient Vagharshapat was inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC. Many sites, such as Metsamor Castle, Shresh hill and Mokhrablur hill date back to the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

period. The first written records about Vagharshapat were found in the inscriptions left by the Urartian king Rusa II (685–645 BC), where it was mentioned as ''Kuarlini'' (Կուարլինի). The inscription found in the archaeological site of ancient Vagharshapat cites to a water canal opened by king Rusa II, between Ildaruni river ( Hrazdan River) and the valley of Kuarlini. According to 5th-century writer

, the oldest name of Vagharshapat was ''Artimed'' (Արտիմէդ), derived from the

deity

. Later, it was renamed ''Avan Vardgesi'' (Աւան Վարդգէսի, "Town of Vardges") or ''Vardgesavan'' (Վարդգէսաւան) after being rebuilt by prince ''Vardges Manouk'' near the shores of Kasagh River, during the reign of king Orontes I Sakavakyats of Armenia (570–560 BC). In the first half of the 2nd century AD, under the reign of the Armenian Arsacid king Vagharsh I of Armenia (117–144), the old town of Vardgesavan was renovated and renamed ''Vagharshapat'' (Վաղարշապատ). In his first book ''Wars of Justinian'', the Byzantine historian

has cited to the city as ''Valashabad'' (Balashabad), named after king ''Valash'' (Balash) of Armenia. The name evolved into its later form by the shift in the medial ''L'' into a ''Gh'', which is common in the Armenian language.

mentioned that the Town of Vardges was entirely rebuilt and fenced by king Vagharsh I to become known as ''Norakaghak'' (Նորաքաղաք, "New City") and later Vagharshapat. Zvartnots3

Vagharshapat has served as the capital of the Arsacid Kingdom of Armenia between 120 AD and 330 AD. After embracing Christianity as a state religion in Armenia in 301, Vagharshapat was gradually called ''Ejmiatsin'' (), after the name of the Mother Cathedral; the seat of the Armenian Catholicosate, which is considered one of the oldest religious organizations in the world. As a spiritual centre of the entire Armenian nation, Vagharshapat has grown up rapidly and developed as an important centre of education and culture. The city was home to one of the oldest educational institutions in Armenia founded by

Mesrop Mashtots Mesrop Mashtots (; , ' 362February 17, 440 AD) was an Armenians, Armenian Linguistics, linguist, composer, Christian theology, theologian, Politician, statesman, and Hymnology, hymnologist. He is venerated as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic C ...

. The political capital of the Armenian kingdom was transferred to the city of Dvin in 336.

Middle Ages

Vagharshapat maintained its status as the country's most important city until the fall of the Arsacid Kingdom in 428. The city gradually lost its importance under the Persian rule, specifically when the seat of the Catholicosate was transferred to Dvin in 452. However, the first manuscript library in Armenia was founded in 480 in Vagharshapat. The Armenian Church rejected the

Council of Chalcedon The Council of Chalcedon (; ) was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bithynia (modern-day Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey) from 8 Oct ...

(451) because they believed the Chalcedonian

christology In Christianity, Christology is a branch of Christian theology, theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would b ...

was too similar to

Nestorianism Nestorianism is a term used in Christian theology and Church history to refer to several mutually related but doctrinary, doctrinarily distinct sets of teachings. The first meaning of the term is related to the original teachings of Christian t ...

; however, some Armenian bishops who were present in the territories of

Roman Armenia Roman Armenia refers to the rule of parts of Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity), Greater Armenia by the Roman Empire from the 1st century AD to the end of Late Antiquity. While Armenia Minor had become a client state until it was incorporated into t ...

signed the Council's documents and also accepted

Pope Leo I Pope Leo I () ( 391 – 10 November 461), also known as Leo the Great (; ), was Bishop of Rome from 29 September 440 until his death on 10 November 461. He is the first of the three Popes listed in the ''Annuario Pontificio'' with the title "the ...

's 458

encyclical An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Roman Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop. The word comes from the Late Latin (originally fr ...

mandating adherence to the

Chalcedonian Definition The Chalcedonian Definition (also called the Chalcedonian Creed or the Definition of Chalcedon) is the declaration of the dyophysitism of Hypostatic union, Christ's nature, adopted at the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451. Chalcedon was an Early cen ...

. In Persarmenia, the Persian Nestorian Church supported the spread of Nestorianism, which the Armenian Church had previously declared heretical and saw as a threat to the independence of their Church.

Peter the Iberian Peter the Iberian ( ka, პეტრე იბერი, tr) (c. 417-491) was a Georgians, Georgian royal prince, theologian and philosopher who was a prominent figure in early Christianity and one of the founders of Neoplatonism and Christianity, ...

, a Georgian prince, also strongly opposed the Chalcedonian Creed. Thus, in 491, Catholicos Babken I of Armenia, along with the Albanian and Iberian bishops met in Vagharshapat and issued a condemnation of the Chalcedonian Definition. In 587 during the reign of emperor Maurice, Vagharshapat (then called Valarshapat) and much of Armenia came under Roman administration after the Romans defeated the Sassanid Persian Empire at the battle of the Blarathon. In 658 AD, Vagharshapat, along with the rest of the Armenian highland, was conquered by the Arabs. The city was briefly revived between the 9th and 11th centuries under the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia, before being overrun by the Byzantines in 1045 and later by the

Seljuks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persian culture. The founder of th ...

in 1064. In the middle of the 13th century, Vagharshapat became part of the

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...

of the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...

. During the last quarter of the 14th century the

Aq Qoyunlu The Aq Qoyunlu or the White Sheep Turkomans (, ; ) was a culturally Persianate society, Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400–1750'', (Bloomsbury, 2014), 38; "Post-Mongol Persia and Iraq were ruled by two trib ...

Sunni

Oghuz Turkic The Oghuz languages are a sub-branch of the Turkic language family, spoken by approximately 108 million people. The three languages with the largest number of speakers are Turkish, Azerbaijani and Turkmen, which, combined, account for more ...

tribe took over Armenia, including Vagharshapat. The influence of Vagharshapat waned between 1045 and 1441, when the seat of the Armenian Catholicosate was transferred from the

Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...

n city of Sis back to Etchmiadzin.

Early modern period

Between 1502 and 1828, Armenia became part of the Persian state under the rule of

Safavid The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

, Afsharid and

Qajar The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic origin,Cyrus Ghani. ''Iran an ...

dynasties, with short periods of Ottoman rule between 1578 and 1603 and later between 1722 and 1736. In 1828, after the Russo-Persian War, Vagharshapat —as a part of the

Erivan Khanate The Erivan Khanate (), also known as , was a Khanates of the Caucasus, khanate (i.e., province) that was established in Afsharid dynasty, Afsharid Iran in the 18th century. It covered an area of roughly 19,500 km2, and corresponded to most o ...

— was handed over to the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

as a result of the

Treaty of Turkmenchay The Treaty of Turkmenchay (; ) was an agreement between Qajar Iran and the Russian Empire, which concluded the Russo-Persian War (1826–1828). It was second of the series of treaties (the first was the 1813 Treaty of Gulistan and the last, the ...

signed on 21 February 1828. In their 1833 book Eli Smith and H. G. O. Dwight described Vagharshapat, then a village, as follows: "It presents nothing but a crowded collection of mud cabins, perhaps 500 in number." With the establishment of the Erivan Governorate in 1850, Vagharshapat became the centre of the newly formed Echmiadzinsky Uyezd.

Present day

Armenia enjoyed a short period of independence between 1918 and 1920 before falling to the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

11th Red Army and becoming part of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. In 1925, the new plan of rebuilding the modern town was introduced by architect

Alexander Tamanian Alexander Tamanian (; March 4, 1878 – February 20, 1936) was a Russian-born Armenian Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical architect, well known for his work in the city of Yerevan. Life and work Tamanian was born in the city of Yekaterinod ...

. It was finally completed between 1939 and 1943. In 1945, the town of Vagharshapat was officially renamed ''Etchmiadzin'' by the Soviet government. During the 1950s and 1960s, the town has witnessed a massive wave of construction, including residential buildings and industrial plants. By the end of the 1960s, the historical monuments of the town; including the religious complex of the

, Saint Hripsime Church, Saint Gayane Church and the surrounding area of

Zvartnots Cathedral Zvartnots Cathedral ( (Classical Armenian orthography, classical); (Armenian orthography reform, reformed), sometimes rendered in scholarly works as Zuart'nots' or Zuart'noc' ; 'place of reserection/lifefulness/joyfulness') is a medieval Arme ...

, were entirely rehabilitated. After the independence of Armenia, the town was officially renamed Vagharshapat in 1995. However, the town is still popularly known as Ejmiatsin. In October 2018, Diana Gasparyan, who was nominated by the Civil Contract Party, was elected mayor of the city and the country's first ever female mayor. Veharan-880x660

Geography and climate

Vagharshapat is the largest satellite-city of Yerevan and the 4th largest in Armenia by population. It is located to the west of Yerevan in the basin of the Kasagh River, in the northeastern extremity of Ararat plain, and very close to

Zvartnots International Airport Zvartnots International Airport () is located near Zvartnots, west of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. It acts as the main international airport of Armenia and is Yerevan's main international transport hub. It is the busiest airport in ...

. According to Moses of Chorene's ''History of Armenia'' and as a result of several archaeological 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 only away to the northeast of modern-day Vagharshapat, on the way to Oshakan. It is an artificial hill and has a diameter of long. It was first excavated in 1870. In 1913 and 1928, the area was excavated by archaeologist Yervand Lalayan. Large-scale excavations were conducted around the hill and the nearby sites of Metsamor and Mokhrablur between 1945 and 1950. Historically, Vagharshapat is at the heart of the Armenian Highland, in Aragatsotn canton (Armenian: Արագածոտն գաւառ ''Aragatsotn gavar'', not to be confused with the current

Aragatsotn Province Aragatsotn (, ) is a administrative divisions of Armenia, province (''Marz (country subdivision), marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the western part of the country. The capital and largest city of the province is the town of Ashtarak. The Sta ...

) of Ayrarat province, within Armenia Major. The city has an average elevation of

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. The climate is cold semi-arid (

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''BSk'').

Demographics

Vagharshapat is the largest urban community of Armavir Province. However, the population of the town has gradually declined since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The majority of the town's population are ethnic Armenians who belong to the

. The regulating body of the church is the Diocese of Armavir based in the nearby town of Armavir. Between 1996 and 2014, the Holy Mother of God Church of Vagharshapat has served as the seat of the diocese. Opened in 1767 by Catholicos Simeon I, the church is located at the centre of Vagharshapat, north of the

. Here is a population timeline of Vagharshapat since 1830:

Landmarks

The Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is found in the complex surrounded with many other structures built 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. Gevorgian Seminary is a theological college of the

founded by Catholicos Gevork IV in 1874 within the complex of the Mother See. Apart from the Mother Cathedral, Vagharshapat is home to many other important Armenian churches and cathedrals. The Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, the Churches of Saint Hripsimé, Saint Gayane and Saint Shoghakat, and the archaeological site of Zvartnots are listed among the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2000, the churches of Vagharshapat, together with the nearby ruin of

, were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Principal churches include: *

( ''Mayr Tachar Surp Ejmiatsin'') – The "Mother Cathedral" was built by

Gregory the Illuminator Gregory the Illuminator ( – ) was the founder and first official Catholicos of All Armenians, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He Christianization of Armenia, converted Armenia from Zoroastrianism in Armenia, Zoroastrianism to Chris ...

as a vaulted

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

in 301–303, when Armenia had just adopted Christianity as a state religion, making it one of the oldest churches in the world. The church was repeatedly enlarged, notably in 480, 618 and 1658. * Saint Hripsime Church – The church was erected in 618 by Catholicos Gomidas atop an existing mausoleum containing the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsimé. According to the 17th century Armenian historian

Arakel of Tabriz Arakel of Tabriz or Arakel Davrizhetsi (; 1590s–1670) was an Armenian historian and clergyman from Tabriz. His ''History'' is an important and reliable source for the histories of the Safavid and Ottoman empires, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and ...

, when the church was renovated during 1651–1653 by Catholicos

Philip I Philip(p) I may refer to: * Philip I of Macedon (7th century BC) * Philip I Philadelphus (between 124 and 109 BC–83 or 75 BC) * Philip the Arab (c. 204–249), Roman Emperor * Philip I of France (1052–1108) * Philip I (archbishop of Cologne) ( ...

, a cross was placed on top of the roof and a small portico was added to the western side. It is one of the few churches in Armenian that remained active during the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

period. * Saint Gayane Church – Built in 630 by Catholicos Ezra I, Saint Gayane is a three-

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, domed

with an octagonal

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

resting on four internal pillars that divide the interior of the church into three. Its design remained unchanged despite partial renovations of the dome and some ceilings in 1652. * Shoghakat Church – Meaning ''drop of light'', Shoghakat is a single-nave domed basilica, built and completed in 1694 by prince Aghamal Sorotetsi during the period of Catholicos Nahabed I. It is built with red and black

tufa Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitation (chemistry), precipitate out of water in ambient temperature, unheated rivers or lakes. hot spring, Geothermally heated hot springs sometimes produce similar (but less ...

stones, erected on the remains of a 6th-century basilica. The remains of a 4th-century small chapel could be seen at the southwestern end of Saint Shoghakat Church. File:Ejmiadzin Cathedral.jpg, Etchmiadzin Cathedral, opened in 303 File:S. Hripsime.JPG, Saint Hripsimé Church, opened in 618 File:Gayane6.jpg, Saint Gayane Church, opened in 630 File:Shoghakat.jpg, Shoghakat Church, opened in 1694 File:Zvartnots cathedral ruins.jpg, Zvartnots Cathedral, opened in 652

Culture

Vagharshapat is the cultural center of Armavir and one of the important centers of the entire republic. The Komitas Palace of Culture is operating in the town since 1957, while the Ejmiatsin National Gallery is operating since 1970. The town is also home to a number of museums including the Vagharshapat Ethnographic Museum, Khoren Ter-Harutyunyan Museum and Gallery, Mher Abeghian Museum and Gallery, and Hovhannes Hovhannisyan House-museum. However, the most prominent museums of Vagharshapat are located within the Mother See complex, including: *Etchmiadzin Cathedral Museum opened in 1869 by Catholicos

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

, *The Catholicosal Museum within the old pontifical residence or ''Hin Veharan'' built in 1738–1741 and serves as Catholicosal Museum since 1968. *Khrimian Museum: built and opened in 1896 by Catholicos Mkrtich I of Van. It was recently renovated to become a museum of art. *Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury House: opened on 11 October 1982, designed by architect Baghdasar Arzoumanian. The museum is home to treasures of the Armenian Church throughout history. *Ruben Sevak Museum: opened in 2013 within the Ghazarapat building of the Mother See. The Mother See is also home to the Pontifical Bookstore operating since 1962, and the *Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Manuscript Depository opened in 2012. The town celebrates the "Ejmiatsin Day" annually since 2008 in Vagharshapat on 8 October. According to the old Armenian tradition,

brought the newly created

Armenian alphabet The Armenian alphabet (, or , ) or, more broadly, the Armenian script, is an alphabetic writing system developed for Armenian and occasionally used to write other languages. It is one of the three historical alphabets of the South Caucasu ...

to Vagharshapat on 8 October 405.

Monuments

(303), Saint Hripsime Church(618), Saint Gayane Church(630), and

(652) in most known Church buildings of

Armenian Architecture Armenian architecture comprises architectural works with an aesthetic or historical connection to the Armenians, Armenian people. It is difficult to situate this architectural style within precise geographical or chronological limits, but many o ...

. All these churches are masterpieces of Armenian architecture that have had a great influence on the architecture of the world. For example, Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which is considered the oldest cathedral in the world, which inspired architects in different eras.

Zvartnots Cathedral view from air October 2022

Other churches Shoghakat Church(1694) and Holy Mother of God Church(1764) were also important churches for Vagharshapat. Now in Metsamor site(4th millennium–8th century BC), statues of vishaps were built there, most of which have survived to this day.

Transportation

Vagharshapat is connected with Yerevan and southern Armenia through the M-5 Motorway, while the M-3 Motorway connects the town with northern Armenia. The

of Yerevan is located only east of Vagharshapat. Being located 20 km west of the capital

, Vagharshapat is connected with the capital city with public vans, locally known as ''

marshrutka ''Marshrutnoye taksi''GAZelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, ' ...

vans with 13 seats. However, they have changed since 2018. The Vagharshapat-Yerevan buses have regular trips every day from 7 am to 9 pm and cost 300 Armenian drams. The route starts from the station near Echmiadzin State College after Vardges Hamazaspyan and finishes at the end of Mashtots Avenue, near to Matenadaran. Except for the Vagharshapat-Yerevan buses, taxis designed specifically for Vagharshapat-Yerevan trips also operate. Taxis start the route from the center of Vagharshapat and finish at the station near to Blue Mosque. The current rate of the Vagharshapat-Yerevan taxis is 500 Armenian drams per person. Currently, there are 2 smart bus stops in the city.

Economy

Industry

Vagharshapat was home to the 1st paper factory in the history of Armenia. In 1780, Catholicos Simeon I of Yerevan founded the Etchmiadzin Paper Factory which served for 6 years. Under the Soviet rule, the town was turned into an important industrial centre. It was home to 4 major industrial firms specialized in the production of military technology. However, the productivity of the plants declined after the fall of the Soviet Union. Currently, the industry of the town is mainly based on food-processing. The largest industrial firms of the town are the Ejmiatsin Instrument Making Factory founded in 1966, the E.P.G. Ejmiatsin Cannery founded in 1969, the Ejmiatsin Kat dairy factory founded in 1997, the Sonimol plant for grains founded in 2001, the Ejmiatsin wine brandy and vodka factory founded in 2005, and the Ekologia V.K.H. biological waste destruction plant founded in 2009. Center of Vagharshapat

Tourism

Being the spiritual centre of the Armenian nation worldwide, Vagharshapat is a major tourist destination for Armenians as well as foreign visitors. It is home to the

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s of

, Saint Hripsime Church, Saint Gayane Church and Shoghakat Church, grouped overall as the Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots. The ''Machanents Touristic Centre'' of Vagharshapat provides a unique facility for the visitors of the town. The complex houses a cultural centre with small theatre, pub and jazz club, traditional cuisine, and a boutique hotel. The ''Zvartnots'' hotel and casino complex is located at the eastern entrance of the town.

Education

Gevorkian Theological Seminary is one of the most significant educational institutions of Armenia. Other educational institutions include the ''Grigor Lusavorich University'' and the intermediate college of vocational education. Garegin A center

The Karekin I Centre of Theology and Armenology is also functioning in the town since 2000. , Vagharshapat is home to 14 public secondary schools, 8 kindergartens and 2 musical academies. The new complex of Eurnekian School of the Mother See was opened in September 2017.

Sport

FC Vagharshapat was the town's only football club, made its debut in the

Armenian Premier League The Armenian Premier League (, known as the Armenian Fastex Premier League for sponsorship reasons) is the top association football, football competition in Armenia. From 1936 to 1991, the competition was held as a regional tournament within th ...

as Zvartnots Echmiadzin in 1992. However, it was dissolved in early 2006 and is currently inactive from professional football. The Etchmiadzin Stadium located immediately to the south of the Mother See complex, is able to hold up to 3,000 spectators. In October 2016, the Football Federation of Armenia has launched the construction of a football academy at the southern suburb of the town, on the Vagharshapat- Margara motorway. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 12 April 2017, was attended by President Serzh Sargsyan,

UEFA The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...

President

Aleksander Čeferin Aleksander Čeferin (; born 13 October 1967) is a Slovenian lawyer and Association football, football administrator. Between 2011 and 2016, he was president of the Football Association of Slovenia. Since September 2016, he has been the List of pr ...

and FFA President Ruben Hayrapetyan. With an approximate cost of US$2 million, the complex will occupy an area of and is expected to be completed by October 2017. The project is being jointly financed by the FFA,

and

FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...

. A new sport school is currently under construction in Vagharshapat since 2015, with a cost of more than US$1 million. The project is due to be completed in 2019. The nearby village of Aknalich (10 km south of Vagharshapat) is famous for the ''Ara and Aytsemnik'' equestrian centre.

International relations

Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin) has been a member of the

Organization of World Heritage Cities The Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization of 250 cities in which sites of the UNESCO World Heritage list are located. It was founded in 1993 in Fez, Morocco, during the second In ...

(OWHC) since 2007.

Twin towns – sister cities

Vagharshapat is twinned with: *

Fresno Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...

, United States (2009) * Hadrut,

Republic of Artsakh Artsakh ( ), officially the Republic of Artsakh or the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh ( ), was a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Between 1991 and 2023, Artsakh cont ...

(2010-2020) *

Issy-les-Moulineaux Issy-les-Moulineaux () is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called in French. It is one of Paris's entrances and is located from Notre Dame Cathedral, whic ...

, France (1989) *

Martakert Martakert (, , also , ) or Aghdara ( ) is a town in the Aghdara District of Azerbaijan, in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Until 2023 it was controlled by the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, as the centre of its Martakert Province. The villa ...

, Republic of Artsakh (2010-2023) *

Petrozavodsk Petrozavodsk (, ; Karelian language, Karelian, Veps language, Vepsian and ) is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, which stretches along the western shore of Lake Onega for some . The population of the city is 280,890 as of 2022. ...

, Russia (2004) * Sergiyev Posad, Russia (2010) *

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

, Palestine (2024)

Friendly cities

Vagharshapat also cooperates with: *

Veliko Tarnovo Veliko Tarnovo (, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. It is the historical and spiritual capital of Bulgaria. Often referred to as the "''City of the Tsars''", Velik ...

, Bulgaria (2013) *

Mtskheta Mtskheta ( ka, მცხეთა} ) is a city in the Mkhare, region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Georgia (country), Georgia. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It is locat ...

, Georgia (2016) *

Almelo Almelo () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The main population centres in the town are Aadorp, Almelo, Mariaparochie, and Bornerbroek. Almelo has about 72,000 inhabitants in the middle o ...

, Netherlands (2020)

Notable people

*Zacharias II (?–1520), Catholicos of All Armenians 1515–1520 *Gregory XII (1498–1590), Catholicos of All Armenians 1576–1590 *David IV (?–1633), Catholicos of All Armenians 1590–1629 * Makar Yekmalyan (1856–1905), composer * Hovhannes Hovhannisyan (1864–1929), poet * Yeghishe Tadevosyan (1870-1936), artist, pedagogue * Abraham Gyulkhandanyan (1875–1946), politician and historian * Levon Manaseryan (1925), painter * Aram Asatryan (1953–2006), singer * Khoren Gevor (1980–), professional boxer * Mihran Harutyunyan (1989-), wrestler, professional

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

fighter and Olympic Silver Medalist * Andranik Karapetyan (1995-), European champion in weightlifting * Arman Adikyan (1984-), Greco-Roman wrestler * Siranush Andriasian (1986-), professional chess player and three time Armenian champion * Sedrak Saroyan (1967–2022), general and MP * Andranik Hakobyan, professional boxer * Hamlet Manukyan, gymnast * Anahit Mekhitarian, opera singer * Haykaz Galstyan, Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler. * Armen Melikyan, Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler. * Narek Abgaryan, boxer * Vahagn Militosyan, professional footballer * Albert Mnatsakanyan, professional footballer * Arthur Manukyan, director and producer * Spiridon Melikyan, musicologist, composer, choirmaster, and teacher

References

External links

Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots
UNESCO Collection on Google Arts and Culture * * * {{Authority control Former capitals of Armenia Holy cities Populated places in Armavir Province Populated places established in the 7th century BC Armenian Apostolic Church