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135-550: Etchmiadzin Cathedral ( Armenian : Էջմիածնի մայր տաճար , romanized :  Ēǰmiaçni mayr tač̣ar ) is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church , located in the city dually known as Etchmiadzin (Ejmiatsin) and Vagharshapat , Armenia. It is usually considered the first cathedral built in ancient Armenia , and often regarded as the oldest cathedral in the world . The original church

270-647: A Gh , which is common in the Armenian language. Movses Khorenatsi 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. 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

405-417: A fire temple inside the cathedral. The pyre of the fire temple was unearthed under the altar of the east apse during the excavations in the 1950s. By the last quarter of the fifth century the cathedral was dilapidated. According to Ghazar Parpetsi , it was rebuilt from the foundations by marzban (governor) of Persian Armenia Vahan Mamikonian in 483/4, when the country was relatively stable, following

540-550: A granite Urartian stele dated to the 8th-6th centuries BC was excavated under the main altar in the 1950s. Also excavated under the altar was an amphora, which has been interpreted to have been a part of a fire temple. In his History of the Armenians , Agathangelos narrates the legend of the cathedral's foundation. Armenia's patron saint Gregory the Illuminator had a divine vision descending from heaven and striking

675-435: A " canopy erected on a cross [plan]," while Vahagn Grigoryan proposes what Mnatsakanian describes as an "extreme view," that the cathedral has been essentially in the same form as it is today. According to Faustus of Byzantium , the cathedral and the city of Vagharshapat were almost completely destroyed during the invasion of Sasanian King Shapur II in the 360s (circa 363). Due to Armenia's unfavorable economic conditions,

810-682: A UNESCO World Heritage Site. Principal churches include: 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,

945-520: A consistent Proto-Indo-European pattern distinct from Iranian, and that the inflectional morphology was different from that of Iranian languages. The hypothesis that Greek is Armenian's closest living relative originates with Holger Pedersen (1924), who noted that the number of Greek-Armenian lexical cognates is greater than that of agreements between Armenian and any other Indo-European language. Antoine Meillet (1925, 1927) further investigated morphological and phonological agreement and postulated that

1080-596: A contemporary French military envoy to Persia, they looted, seriously damaging the Armenian religious buildings. Shortly after, the Russians were forced to withdraw from the area as a result of the successful Persian defense of Erivan . According to Bontems-Lefort, the Russian behaviour at Etchmiadzin contrasted with that of the Persian king, who treated the local Christian population with respect. On 13 April 1827, during

1215-622: A general council of several hundred religious figures met in Etchmiadzin and voted to reestablish a catholicosate there. The cathedral was restored by Catholicos Kirakos (Cyriacus) between 1441 and 1443. At that time Etchmiadzin was under the control of the Turkic Kara Koyunlu , but in 1502, Safavid Iran gained control of parts of Armenia, including Etchmiadzin, and granted the Armenian Church some privileges. During

1350-468: A loan from Armenian (compare to Armenian եւ yev , ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi ). Other loans from Armenian into Urartian includes personal names, toponyms, and names of deities. Loan words from Iranian languages , along with the other ancient accounts such as that of Xenophon above, initially led some linguists to erroneously classify Armenian as an Iranian language. Scholars such as Paul de Lagarde and F. Müller believed that

1485-601: A major renovation under Catholicos Movses (Moses), when the dome, ceiling, roof, foundations and paving were repaired. At this time, cells for monks, a guesthouse and other structures were built around the cathedral. Additionally, a wall was built around the cathedral, making it a fort-like complex. The renovation works were interrupted by the Ottoman-Safavid War of 1635–36 , during which the cathedral remained intact. The renovations resumed under Catholicos Pilippos (1632–55), who built new cells for monks and renovated

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1620-425: A network of schools where modern Armenian was taught, dramatically increased the rate of literacy (in spite of the obstacles by the colonial administrators), even in remote rural areas. The emergence of literary works entirely written in the modern versions increasingly legitimized the language's existence. By the turn of the 20th century both varieties of the one modern Armenian language prevailed over Grabar and opened

1755-568: A short period of independence between 1918 and 1920 before falling to the Bolshevik 11th Red Army and becoming part of the Soviet Union . In 1925, the new plan of rebuilding the modern town was introduced by architect Alexander Tamanian . It was finally completed between 1939 and 1943. In 1945, the town of Vagharshapat was officially renamed Etchmiadzin by the Soviet government. During

1890-514: A woman in mourning, contemplating her former splendor and exhorting her children to return to their homeland [...] and restore its glory." Following the fall of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in 1375, the See of Sis experienced decline and disarray. The Catholicosate of Aghtamar and the locally influential Syunik bishops enhanced the importance of the region around Etchmiadzin. In 1441

2025-520: Is cold semi-arid ( Köppen climate classification BSk ). 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 Armenian Apostolic Church . The regulating body of the church is the Diocese of Armavir based in

2160-484: Is "built of excellent materials, and in a most solid manner." Bryce found little distinctive about its exterior and Lynch did not admire its architecture. Robert Ker Porter said its architecture is "of a rude character, when compared with even the roughest styles of Gothic churches that may be seen in England." A National Geographic writer described it as an "austere and commanding work". Luigi Villari opined that it

2295-406: Is "unusual and interesting rather than beautiful, and altogether inferior to many other Armenian churches." Robert H. Hewsen agreed; he noted that it is "neither the largest nor the most beautiful of Armenian churches", nevertheless, "the overall impression presented by the ensemble is inspiring, and Armenians hold the building in great reverence." The cathedral's core is built in grey stone, while

2430-484: Is 500 Armenian drams per person. Currently, there are 2 smart bus stops in the city. 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

2565-552: Is an independent branch of the Indo-European languages . It is of interest to linguists for its distinctive phonological changes within that family. Armenian exhibits more satemization than centumization , although it is not classified as belonging to either of these subgroups. Some linguists tentatively conclude that Armenian, Greek (and Phrygian ), Albanian and Indo-Iranian were dialectally close to each other; within this hypothetical dialect group, Proto-Armenian

2700-561: Is clearly the dialect to be most closely related to Armenian. Eric P. Hamp (1976, 91) supports the Graeco-Armenian thesis and even anticipates a time "when we should speak of Helleno-Armenian" (meaning the postulate of a Graeco-Armenian proto-language). Armenian shares the augment and a negator derived from the set phrase in the Proto-Indo-European language * ne h₂oyu kʷid ("never anything" or "always nothing"),

2835-479: Is considered the oldest cathedral in the world , which inspired architects in different eras. 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 Vagharshapat is connected with Yerevan and southern Armenia through

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2970-474: Is derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂r̥ǵipyós , with cognates in Sanskrit (ऋजिप्य, ṛjipyá ), Avestan ( ərəzifiia ), and Greek (αἰγίπιος, aigípios ). Hrach Martirosyan and Armen Petrosyan propose additional borrowed words of Armenian origin loaned into Urartian and vice versa, including grammatical words and parts of speech, such as Urartian eue ("and"), attested in the earliest Urartian texts and likely

3105-493: 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 . 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

3240-427: Is mostly flat, except the conspicuous central cupola with the typically Armenian conical roof on a polygonal drum and the four small belfries on top of the apses. Although the cathedral was renovated many times through the centuries and significant additions were made in the 17th and 19th centuries, it largely retains the form of the building constructed in 483/4, especially the floor plan. The fifth-century building

3375-415: Is not considered conclusive evidence of a period of common isolated development. There are words used in Armenian that are generally believed to have been borrowed from Anatolian languages, particularly from Luwian , although some researchers have identified possible Hittite loanwords as well. One notable loanword from Anatolian is Armenian xalam , "skull", cognate to Hittite ḫalanta , "head". In 1985,

3510-570: Is one of the most visited places in the country. Along with several important early medieval churches located nearby, the cathedral was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. The cathedral is located at the center of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin , the administrative headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church, in the town dually known as Vagharshapat or Etchmiadzin (Ejmiatsin). For much of its history,

3645-486: Is small by Western standards but larger than other ancient Armenian churches. Harold Buxton went so far as to call it a "tiny chapel". Grigoryan argued that it is one of the largest churches of its time and, overall, one of the largest churches in Armenia. Two Soviet authors described it as a "massive cube surmounted by a faceted cone on a simple cylinder." Jean Chardin called it a "substantial but dark structure, all built of large freestone ." James Morier noted that it

3780-453: Is the 5th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province , located about 18 km (11 mi) west of the capital Yerevan , and 10 km (6 mi) north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is commonly known as Ejmiatsin (also spelled Echmiadzin or Etchmiadzin , Էջմիածին , pronounced [ɛt͡ʃʰmjɑˈt͡sin] ), which

3915-533: Is the core of the cathedral, while the stone cupola, turrets, belfry, and rear extension are later additions. According to Varazdat Harutyunyan , its dome was originally wooden and was replaced with a stone one in a subsequent renovation. Portions of the northern and eastern walls of the original building have survived. Alexander Sahinian argued that Etchmiadzin holds a unique position in Armenian (and non-Armenian) architecture history because it reproduces features of different periods of Armenian architecture . It makes

4050-633: Is the working language. Armenian (without reference to a specific variety) is officially recognized as a minority language in Cyprus , Hungary , Iraq , Poland , Romania , and Ukraine . It is recognized as a minority language and protected in Turkey by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne . Vagharshapat 40°10′22″N 44°17′33″E  /  40.17278°N 44.29250°E  / 40.17278; 44.29250 Vagharshapat ( Armenian : Վաղարշապատ pronounced [vɑʁɑɾʃɑˈpɑt] )

4185-405: Is used for blessing offerings. He argued that the inscription suggests that the bell was a consecrated Buddhist object. An evidence of Armenian contacts with Buddhism , the bell, Hewsen suggested, was "probably the long-forgotten gift of some Mongol or Ilkhanid khan." Martin proposed an alternative theory; suggesting that the bell may have originally been housed at a Buddhist temple in the area and

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4320-400: The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (11–14th centuries) resulted in the addition of two more characters to the alphabet (" օ " and " ֆ "), bringing the total number to 38. The Book of Lamentations by Gregory of Narek (951–1003) is an example of the development of a literature and writing style of Old Armenian by the 10th century. In addition to elevating the literary style and vocabulary of

4455-563: The Armenian genocide , mostly in the diaspora ). The differences between them are considerable but they are mutually intelligible after significant exposure. Some subdialects such as Homshetsi are not mutually intelligible with other varieties. Although Armenians were known to history much earlier (for example, they were mentioned in the 6th-century BC Behistun Inscription and in Xenophon 's 4th century BC history, The Anabasis ),

4590-789: The Byzantines in 1045 and later by the Seljuks in 1064. In the middle of the 13th century, Vagharshapat became part of the Ilkhanate of the Mongol Empire . During the last quarter of the 14th century the Aq Qoyunlu Sunni Oghuz Turkic tribe took over Armenia, including Vagharshapat. The influence of Vagharshapat waned between 1045 and 1441, when the seat of the Armenian Catholicosate

4725-721: The Council of Chalcedon (451) because they believed the Chalcedonian christology was too similar to Nestorianism ; however, some Armenian bishops who were present in the territories of Roman Armenia signed the Council's documents and also accepted Pope Leo I 's 458 encyclical mandating adherence to the Chalcedonian Definition . In Persarmenia , the Persian Nestorian Church supported

4860-487: The Gevorgian Seminary , a theological school-college located on the cathedral's premises. Catholicos Markar I undertook the restoration of the interior of the cathedral in 1888. In 1903, the Russian government issued an edict to confiscate the properties of the Armenian Church, including the treasures of Etchmiadzin. Russian policemen and soldiers entered and occupied the cathedral. Due to popular resistance and

4995-641: The Greek language , the Armenian language, and the Indo-Iranian languages . Graeco-Aryan unity would have become divided into Proto-Greek and Proto-Indo-Iranian by the mid-3rd millennium BC. Conceivably, Proto-Armenian would have been located between Proto-Greek and Proto-Indo-Iranian, consistent with the fact that Armenian shares certain features only with Indo-Iranian (the satem change) but others only with Greek ( s > h ). Graeco-Aryan has comparatively wide support among Indo-Europeanists who believe

5130-643: The Indo-European homeland to be located in the Armenian Highlands , the " Armenian hypothesis ". Early and strong evidence was given by Euler's 1979 examination on shared features in Greek and Sanskrit nominal flection. Used in tandem with the Graeco-Armenian hypothesis, the Armenian language would also be included under the label Aryano-Greco-Armenic , splitting into Proto-Greek/Phrygian and "Armeno-Aryan" (ancestor of Armenian and Indo-Iranian ). Classical Armenian (Arm: grabar ), attested from

5265-449: The Kond of Ghugo , as it was called by the local population, is only 500 metres (1,600 feet) away to the northeast of modern-day Vagharshapat, on the way to Oshakan . It is an artificial hill and has a diameter of 123 metres (404 feet) 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

5400-542: The Mekhitarists . The first Armenian periodical, Azdarar , was published in grabar in 1794. The classical form borrowed numerous words from Middle Iranian languages , primarily Parthian , and contains smaller inventories of loanwords from Greek, Syriac, Aramaic, Arabic, Mongol, Persian, and indigenous languages such as Urartian . An effort to modernize the language in Bagratid Armenia and

5535-726: The National Gallery of Armenia . The frescoes inside the cathedral were restored by Lydia Durnovo in 1956, and in 1981–82 by Vardges Baghdasaryan. In the 1950s, the stone floor was replaced with one of marble. Armenian language Pontic Steppe Caucasus East Asia Eastern Europe Northern Europe Pontic Steppe Northern/Eastern Steppe Europe South Asia Steppe Europe Caucasus India Indo-Aryans Iranians East Asia Europe East Asia Europe Indo-Aryan Iranian Indo-Aryan Iranian Others European Armenian

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5670-621: The Russian Empire as a result of the Treaty of Turkmenchay 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 . Armenia enjoyed

5805-634: The Russo-Persian War (1826–28) , Etchmiadzin was captured by the Russian General Ivan Paskevich 's troops without fight and was formally annexed by Russia, with the Persian-controlled parts of Armenia, roughly corresponding to the territory of the modern Republic of Armenia (also known as Eastern Armenia ), according to the 1828 Treaty of Turkmenchay . The cathedral prospered under Russian rule, despite

5940-459: The ancient Greek deity Artemis . Later, it was renamed Avan Vardgesi ( Աւան Վարդգէսի , "Town of Vardges") or Vardgesavan ( Վարդգէսաւան ) 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 refers to

6075-500: The neolithic 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 Movses Khorenatsi ,

6210-407: The struggle for religious freedom against Persia. Most researchers have concluded that, thus, the church was converted into cruciform church and mostly took its current form. The new church was very different from the original one and "consisted of quadric-apsidal hall built of dull, grey stone containing four free-standing cross-shaped pillars disdained to support a stone cupola." The new cathedral

6345-421: The 15th century, while earlier sources call it "Cathedral of Vagharshapat." The Feast of the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin (Տոն Կաթողիկե Սբ. Էջմիածնի) is celebrated by the Armenian Church 64 days after Easter , during which a hymn, written by the 8th century Catholicos Sahak III , retelling St. Gregory's vision, is sung. Malachia Ormanian suggested that the cathedral was built in 303 within seven months because

6480-504: The 16th and 17th centuries, Armenia suffered from its location between Persia and Ottoman Turkey , and the conflicts between those two empires. Concurrently with the deportation of up to 350,000 Armenians into Persia by Shah Abbas I as part of the scorched earth policy during the war with the Ottoman Empire , Etchmiadzin was plundered in 1604. The Shah wanted to "dispel Armenian hopes of returning to their homeland" by moving

6615-486: The 17th century additions in bright red. The rear extension, added by Catholicos Gevorg IV in 1868, was criticized by 19th century visitors for being out of harmony with the rest of the church. Telfer described it as being "in exquisitely bad taste", while Lynch opined that it "perverts the original edifice." The exterior contains extensive decorative geometric and floral patterns as well as blind arcades and medallions depicting saints. The most significant reliefs are on

6750-452: The 18th century. In 1720, Catholicos Astvatsatur and then, in 1777–83 Simeon I of Yerevan took actions in preserving the cathedral. In 1770, Simeon I established a publishing house near Etchmiadzin, the first in Armenia. During Simeon's reign, the monastery was completely walled and separated from the city of Vagharshapat. Catholicos Ghukas (Lucas) continued the renovations in 1784–86. The Russian Empire gradually penetrated Transcaucasia by

6885-402: 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 Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin , Saint Hripsime Church , Saint Gayane Church and the surrounding area of Zvartnots Cathedral , were entirely rehabilitated. After

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7020-408: The 5th century to the 19th century as the literary standard (up to the 11th century also as a spoken language with different varieties), was partially superseded by Middle Armenian , attested from the 12th century to the 18th century. Specialized literature prefers "Old Armenian" for grabar as a whole, and designates as "Classical" the language used in the 5th century literature, "Post-Classical" from

7155-636: The Armenian kingdom was transferred to the city of Dvin in 336. 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

7290-481: The Armenian language by adding well above a thousand new words, through his other hymns and poems Gregory paved the way for his successors to include secular themes and vernacular language in their writings. The thematic shift from mainly religious texts to writings with secular outlooks further enhanced and enriched the vocabulary. "A Word of Wisdom", a poem by Hovhannes Sargavak devoted to a starling, legitimizes poetry devoted to nature, love, or female beauty. Gradually,

7425-433: The Armenian names Tirayr and Garegin. The stones measure 52 by 69 cm (20 by 27 in) and 47 by 66 cm (19 by 26 in). These reliefs have been tentatively dated between the first and sixth centuries. Some like Shahkhatunian and Ghevont Alishan suggested that these reliefs were created before the invention of the Armenian alphabet c.  405 , while Sirarpie Der Nersessian believed that they are from

7560-564: The Communist government. The dissident anti-Soviet Armenian diocese in the US wrote that "the great cathedral became a hollow monument." Etchmiadzin slowly recovered its religious importance during World War II. The Holy See's official magazine resumed publication in 1944, while the seminary was reopened in September 1945. In 1945 Catholicos Gevorg VI was elected after the seven-year vacancy of

7695-558: The East ( Hatra , Sarvestan ), but are "fundamentally Hellenistic" in their "formal structure and proportional relationships." Similarly, Hewsen suggested that the design of the core of the church is a mixture of a Zoroastrian fire temple and a mausoleum of classical antiquity . The cathedral measures 33 by 30 metres (108 by 98 ft), with its dome rising approximately 34 metres (112 ft). James Bryce deemed it small relative to its importance, while H. F. B. Lynch suggested that it

7830-669: The Ejmiatsin wine brandy and vodka factory founded in 2005, and the Ekologia V.K.H. biological waste destruction plant founded in 2009. 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 Sites of Etchmiadzin Cathedral , Zvartnots Cathedral , Saint Hripsime Church , Saint Gayane Church and Shoghakat Church , grouped overall as

7965-467: The Hurro-Urartian and Northeast Caucasian origins for these words and instead suggest native Armenian etymologies, leaving the possibility that these words may have been loaned into Hurro-Urartian and Caucasian languages from Armenian, and not vice versa. A notable example is arciv , meaning "eagle", believed to have been the origin of Urartian Arṣibi and Northeast Caucasian arzu . This word

8100-718: The M-5 Motorway, while the M-3 Motorway connects the town with northern Armenia. The Zvartnots International Airport of Yerevan is located only 10 kilometres (6 miles) east of Vagharshapat. Being located 20 km west of the capital Yerevan , Vagharshapat is connected with the capital city with public vans, locally known as marshrutka . These vehicles used to be mainly Russian-made GAZelle 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

8235-652: The Only-Begotten" or "the Only-Begotten descended" (from echichnel “the descent” and miatsin “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. 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

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8370-669: The Russian Empire), removed almost all of their Turkish lexical influences in the 20th century, primarily following the Armenian genocide . In addition to Armenia and Turkey, where it is indigenous , Armenian is spoken among the diaspora . According to Ethnologue , globally there are 1.6 million Western Armenian speakers and 3.7 million Eastern Armenian speakers, totalling 5.3 million Armenian speakers. In Georgia, Armenian speakers are concentrated in Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki districts where they represent over 90% of

8505-404: The Russian and Ottoman empires led to creation of two separate and different environments under which Armenians lived. Halfway through the 19th century, two important concentrations of Armenian communities were further consolidated. Because of persecutions or the search for better economic opportunities, many Armenians living under Ottoman rule gradually moved to Istanbul , whereas Tbilisi became

8640-780: The Soviet linguist Igor M. Diakonoff noted the presence in Classical Armenian of what he calls a "Caucasian substratum" identified by earlier scholars, consisting of loans from the Kartvelian and Northeast Caucasian languages . Noting that Hurro-Urartian-speaking peoples inhabited the Armenian homeland in the second millennium BC, Diakonoff identifies in Armenian a Hurro-Urartian substratum of social, cultural, and animal and plant terms such as ałaxin "slave girl" ( ← Hurr. al(l)a(e)ḫḫenne ), cov "sea" ( ← Urart. ṣûǝ "(inland) sea"), ułt "camel" ( ← Hurr. uḷtu ), and xnjor "apple (tree)" ( ← Hurr. ḫinzuri ). Some of

8775-591: The Turkish offensive and set the foundations of the First Republic of Armenia . After two years of independence, Armenia was Sovietized in December 1920. During the 1921 February Uprising Etchmiadzin was briefly (until April) taken over by the nationalist Armenian Revolutionary Federation , which had dominated the pre-Soviet Armenian government between 1918 and 1920. In December 1923, the southern apse of

8910-522: The U.S.-based Armenian Near East Relief by 1919. In the spring of 1918 the cathedral was in danger of an attack by the Turks. Prior to the May 1918 Battle of Sardarabad , which took place just miles away from the cathedral, the civilian and military leadership of Armenia suggested Catholicos Gevorg (George) V to leave for Byurakan for security purposes, but he refused. The Armenian forces eventually repelled

9045-434: The administrative headquarters of the Armenian Church. Etchmiadzin was plundered by Shah Abbas I of Persia in 1604, when relics and stones were taken out of the cathedral to New Julfa in an effort to undermine Armenians' attachment to their land. Since then the cathedral has undergone a number of renovations. Belfries were added in the latter half of the seventeenth century and in 1868 a sacristy (museum and room of relics)

9180-465: The belfry in 1664. The early frescoes inside the cathedral were restored in the 18th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Armenian painters created frescoes of scenes from the old testament and Armenian saints. Naghash Hovnatan painted parts of the interior between 1712 and 1721. His paintings on the dome and the painting of the Mother of God under the altar have survived to this day. Other members of

9315-482: The building of "immense architectural interest." In the West, its style has traditionally been described as Byzantine or linked to Byzantine architecture . Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli disagreed, asserting that fourth century Armenian churches, including Etchmiadzin, considerably differ from Justinian -era Byzantine architecture of Constantinople. He argued that they are local creations that borrow technical elements from

9450-401: The building was not huge and probably, partially made of wood. He also argued that the foundation of the preexisting temple could have been preserved. Vahagn Grigoryan dismisses these dates as implausible and states that at least several years were needed for its construction. He cites Agathangelos , who does not mention the cathedral in an episode that took place in 306 and suggests the usage of

9585-525: The cathedral collapsed. It was restored under Toros Toramanian 's supervision in what was the first case of restoration of an architectural monument in Soviet Armenia. During the Great Purge and the radical state atheist policies in the late 1930s, the cathedral was a "besieged institution as the campaign was underway to eradicate religion." The repressions climaxed when Catholicos Khoren I

9720-476: The cathedral was held at the Pontifical Residence. The latest renovation of the cathedral began in 2012, with a focus on strengthening and restoring the dome and the roof. Its ceremonial reopening is set for September 29, 2024. Etchmiadzin has a cruciform plan, four free-standing piers , and four projecting apses , which are semicircular on the interior and polygonal on the exterior. Its roof

9855-618: The cathedral was renovated only partially by Catholicoi Nerses the Great (r. 353–373) and Sahak Parthev (r. 387–439). In 387, Armenia was partitioned between the Roman and Sasanian Empires . Etchmiadzin became part of the Persian-controlled east, under the rule of Armenian vassal kings until 428, when the Armenian Kingdom was dissolved. In 450, in an attempt to impose Zoroastrianism on Armenians, Sasanian King Yazdegerd II built

9990-434: The center of Armenians living under Russian rule. These two cosmopolitan cities very soon became the primary poles of Armenian intellectual and cultural life. The introduction of new literary forms and styles, as well as many new ideas sweeping Europe, reached Armenians living in both regions. This created an ever-growing need to elevate the vernacular, Ashkharhabar, to the dignity of a modern literary language, in contrast to

10125-605: The center of a courtyard (a quadrangle ), which by Lynch's measurements in the 1890s, was 349 feet 6 inches (106.53 m) by 335 feet 2 inches (102.16 m), making it larger than the Trinity Great Court in Cambridge, England. He suggested that it may have been at the time the largest quadrangle in the world. In the early fourth century the Kingdom of Armenia , under Tiridates III , become

10260-753: 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 Armenian Apostolic Church founded by Catholicos Gevork IV in 1874 within

10395-469: 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. Movses Khorenatsi 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 . Ejmiatsin ( Etchmiadzin , Ēĵmiacin ) literally means "the descent of

10530-473: The communist point of view," wrote Walter Kolarz in 1961. Etchmiadzin revived under Catholicos Vazgen I since the Khrushchev Thaw in the mid-1950s, following Stalin's death. Archaeological excavations were held in 1955–56 and in 1959; the cathedral underwent a major renovation during this period. Wealthy diaspora benefactors, such as Calouste Gulbenkian and Alex Manoogian , financially assisted

10665-620: The complex around the cathedral, which includes the residence of the Catholicos (patriarch), was known as the Monastery of Etchmiadzin. It was formerly surrounded by 30 ft (9.1 m) high walls, made of brick or cob , and had eight circular towers ( turrets ). Its external appearance led 19th century visitors to widely compare it to a fortress. The walled monastery, a vast quadrangular enclosure, could have been accessed through four gates. The cathedral stood—and continues to stand—at

10800-708: 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 World Heritage Sites . In 2000, the churches of Vagharshapat, together with the nearby ruin of Zvartnots Cathedral , were designated

10935-515: The cross of the cathedral was reportedly removed by an Arab emir. Over the course of these centuries of neglect, the cathedral deteriorated to such an extent that it inspired the renowned archbishop Stepanos Orbelian to compose one of his better known poems, "Lament on Behalf of the Cathedral", in 1300. In the poem, which tells about the consequences of the Mongol and Mamluk invasions of Armenia and Cilicia , Orbelian portrays Etchmiadzin Cathedral "as

11070-505: The early 19th century. Persia's Erivan Khanate , in which Etchmiadzin was located, became an important target for the Russians. In June 1804, during the Russo-Persian War (1804–13) , the Russian troops led by General Pavel Tsitsianov tried to take Etchmiadzin, but failed. A few days after the attempt, the Russians returned to Etchmiadzin, where they caught a different Persian force by surprise and routed them. Tsitsianov's forces entered Etchmiadzin, which, according to Auguste Bontems-Lefort,

11205-548: The earth with a golden hammer to show where the cathedral should be built. Later tradition associated the figure with Jesus Christ , hence the name of Etchmiadzin (էջ ēĵ "descent" + մի mi "only" + -ա- -a- ( linking element ) + ծին tsin "begotten"), which translates to "the Descent of the Only-Begotten [ Son of God ]" or "Descended the Only Begotten". However, the name Etchmiadzin did not come into use until

11340-518: The event, only some important stones—the altar, the stone where Jesus Christ descended according to tradition, and Armenian Church's holiest relic, the Right Arm of Gregory the Illuminator—were moved to New Julfa. They were incorporated in the local Armenian St. Georg Church when it was built in 1611. Fifteen stones from Etchmiadzin still remain at St. Georg. Since 1627, the cathedral underwent

11475-580: The existence of the two modern versions of the same language was sanctioned even more clearly. The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1920–1990) used Eastern Armenian as its official language, whereas the diaspora created after the Armenian genocide preserved the Western Armenian dialect. The two modern literary dialects, Western (originally associated with writers in the Ottoman Empire) and Eastern (originally associated with writers in

11610-421: The fifth or sixth century. Grigoryan insisted that the reliefs were created in the early fourth century and were part of the original building of Gregory the Illuminator. According to Hasratyan, they are the earliest reliefs on the cathedral's walls and among the earliest examples of Christian Armenian sculpture art. The 17th century bell tower previously housed a bell with a Tibetan Buddhist inscription, which

11745-430: The first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion. Armenian church tradition places the cathedral's foundation between 301 and 303. It was built near the royal palace in what was then the Armenian capital of Vagharshapat , on the site of a pagan temple, which was dated by Alexander Sahinian to the Urartian period. Although no historical sources point to a pre-Christian place of worship in its place,

11880-608: 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 ) of Ayrarat province, within Armenia Major . The city has an average elevation of 853 metres (2,799 feet) above sea level . The climate

12015-425: The hypothetical Mushki language may have been a (now extinct) Armenic language. W. M. Austin (1942) concluded that there was early contact between Armenian and Anatolian languages , based on what he considered common archaisms, such as the lack of a feminine gender and the absence of inherited long vowels. Unlike shared innovations (or synapomorphies ), the common retention of archaisms (or symplesiomorphy )

12150-474: 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. Vagharshapat is the largest satellite-city of Yerevan and the 4th largest in Armenia by population. It

12285-470: The interests of the population at large were reflected in other literary works as well. Konsdantin Yerzinkatsi and several others took the unusual step of criticizing the ecclesiastic establishment and addressing the social issues of the Armenian homeland. These changes represented the nature of the literary style and syntax, but they did not constitute immense changes to the fundamentals of the grammar or

12420-432: The interior "dark and gloomy" with the "ill-drawn, and worse-coloured" paintings and "dingy fresco" adding to the "gloom, without increasing the solemnity." Telfer described it as "gloomy, ineffective, and entirely deficient in any fascinating touches of architectural force and decoration". Bryce said it had a "certain sombre dignity, and an air of hoar antiquity about everything." Stepanos Lehatsi (Stephen of Poland) painted

12555-434: The late 5th to 8th centuries, and "Late Grabar" that of the period covering the 8th to 11th centuries. Later, it was used mainly in religious and specialized literature, with the exception of a revival during the early modern period, when attempts were made to establish it as the language of a literary renaissance, with neoclassical inclinations, through the creation and dissemination of literature in varied genres, especially by

12690-504: The morphology of the language. Often, when writers codify a spoken dialect, other language users are then encouraged to imitate that structure through the literary device known as parallelism . In the 19th century, the traditional Armenian homeland was once again divided. This time Eastern Armenia was conquered from Qajar Iran by the Russian Empire , while Western Armenia , containing two thirds of historical Armenia, remained under Ottoman control. The antagonistic relationship between

12825-533: The most prominent museums of Vagharshapat are located within the Mother See complex, including: 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, Mesrop Mashtots brought

12960-521: 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 Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin . Here is a population timeline of Vagharshapat since 1830: The Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is found in the complex surrounded with many other structures built throughout

13095-421: The newly created Armenian alphabet to Vagharshapat on 8 October 405. Etchmiadzin Cathedral (303), Saint Hripsime Church (618), Saint Gayane Church (630), and Zvartnots Cathedral (652) in most known Church buildings of Armenian Architecture . 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

13230-509: The northern wall, which Vahagn Grigoryan has described as the most discussed sculptures of early medieval Armenia. One depicts a standing Saint Thecla and Paul the Apostle seated on cross-legged stool. The other contains an equal-armed cross ( Greek cross ) with a series of Greek inscriptions that contain several names, including Arxia, Elpid, Daniel, Tirer, and Garikinis, none of whom have been identified. The last two are interpreted to be

13365-403: The now-anachronistic Grabar. Numerous dialects existed in the traditional Armenian regions, which, different as they were, had certain morphological and phonetic features in common. On the basis of these features two major standards emerged: Both centers vigorously pursued the promotion of Ashkharhabar. The proliferation of newspapers in both versions (Eastern & Western) and the development of

13500-541: The official status of the Armenian language. Eastern Armenian is the official variant used, making it the prestige variety while other variants have been excluded from national institutions. Indeed, Western Armenian is perceived by some as a mere dialect. Armenian was also official in the Republic of Artsakh . It is recognized as an official language of the Eurasian Economic Union although Russian

13635-415: The oldest name of Vagharshapat was Artimed (Արտիմէդ), derived from the ancient Greek deity Artemis . 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

13770-639: The oldest surviving Armenian-language writing is etched in stone on Armenian temples and is called Mehenagir . The Armenian alphabet was created by Mesrop Mashtots in 405, at which time it had 36 letters. He is also credited by some with the creation of the Georgian alphabet and the Caucasian Albanian alphabet . While Armenian constitutes the sole member of the Armenian branch of the Indo-European family, Aram Kossian has suggested that

13905-414: The original church had been a three-naved vaulted basilica , similar to the basilicas of Tekor , Ashtarak and Aparan (Kasagh) . However, other scholars, have rejected Sahinian's view. Among them, Suren Yeremian and Armen Khatchatrian held that the original church had been in the form of a rectangle with a dome supported by four pillars. Stepan Mnatsakanian suggested that the original building had been

14040-483: The parent languages of Greek and Armenian were dialects in immediate geographical proximity during the Proto-Indo-European period. Meillet's hypothesis became popular in the wake of his book Esquisse d'une histoire de la langue latine (1936). Georg Renatus Solta (1960) does not go as far as postulating a Proto-Graeco-Armenian stage, but he concludes that considering both the lexicon and morphology, Greek

14175-407: The path to a new and simplified grammatical structure of the language in the two different cultural spheres. Apart from several morphological, phonetic, and grammatical differences, the largely common vocabulary and generally analogous rules of grammatical fundamentals allows users of one variant to understand the other as long as they are fluent in one of the literary standards. After World War I ,

14310-401: The personal defiance of Catholicos Mkrtich Khrimian , the edict was canceled in 1905. During the Armenian genocide , the cathedral of Etchmiadzin and its surrounding became a major center for Turkish Armenian refugees. At the end of 1918, there were about 70,000 refugees in the Etchmiadzin district. A hospital and an orphanage within the cathedral's grounds were established and maintained by

14445-570: The population. The short-lived First Republic of Armenia declared Armenian its official language. Eastern Armenian was then dominating in institutions and among the population. When Armenia was incorporated into the USSR, the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic made Eastern Armenian the language of the courts, government institutions and schools. Armenia was also russified . The current Republic of Armenia upholds

14580-447: The position. The number of baptisms conducted at Etchmiadzin rose greatly: from 200 in 1949 to around 1,700 in 1951. Nevertheless, the cathedral's role was downplayed by the Communist official circles. "For them the ecclesiastical Echmiadzin belongs irrevocably to the past, and even if the monastery and the cathedral are occasionally the scene of impressive ceremonies including the election of a new catholicos, this has little importance from

14715-705: 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,

14850-505: The prominent Hovnatanian family (Hakob, Harutyun and Hovnatan) created paintings throughout the 18th century. Their work was continued by the succeeding generations of the same family (Mkrtum and Hakob) in the 19th century. The wooden doors of the cathedral were carved in Tiflis in 1889. The paintings were moved out of the cathedral by the order of Catholicos Mkrtich Khrimian in 1891 and are now kept in various museums in Armenia, including

14985-749: 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

15120-472: 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 Procopius 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

15255-515: The religious center of the Armenians to Iran in order to provide Persia with a strong Armenian presence. He wanted to destroy the cathedral and have it physically transferred to the newly founded Armenian community of New Julfa near the royal capital of Isfahan. Shah Abbas offered the prospective new cathedral in New Julfa to the Pope . Etchmiadzin was not moved, possibly because of the high costs. In

15390-646: The renovation of the cathedral. Gulbenkian alone provided $ 400,000. In 2000 Etchmiadzin underwent a renovation prior to the celebrations of the 1700th anniversary of the Christianization of Armenia in 2001. Its metal roof was replaced by stone slabs. In 2003 the 1700th anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral was celebrated by the Armenian Church. Catholicos Karekin II declared 2003 the Year of Holy Etchmiadzin. In September of that year an academic conference on

15525-436: The representation of word-initial laryngeals by prothetic vowels, and other phonological and morphological peculiarities with Greek. Nevertheless, as Fortson (2004) comments, "by the time we reach our earliest Armenian records in the 5th century AD, the evidence of any such early kinship has been reduced to a few tantalizing pieces". Graeco-(Armeno)-Aryan is a hypothetical clade within the Indo-European family , ancestral to

15660-433: The roof. During this century, belfries were added to many Armenian churches. In 1653–54, he started the construction of the belfry in the western wing of Etchmiadzin Cathedral. It was completed in 1658 by Catholicos Hakob IV Jugayetsi. Decades later, in 1682, Catholicos Yeghiazar constructed smaller bell towers with red tuff turrets on the southern, eastern, and northern wings. The renovations of Etchmiadzin continued during

15795-468: The similarities between the two languages meant that Armenian belonged to the Iranian language family . The distinctness of Armenian was recognized when philologist Heinrich Hübschmann (1875) used the comparative method to distinguish two layers of Iranian words from the older Armenian vocabulary . He showed that Armenian often had two morphemes for one concept, that the non-Iranian components yielded

15930-418: The span of 302 to 325—the reign of Gregory the Illuminator as Catholicos as the dates of the cathedral's construction. Archaeological excavations in 1955–56 and 1959, led by Alexander Sahinian , uncovered the remains of the original fourth-century building, including two levels of pillar bases below the current ones and a narrower altar apse under the present one. Based on these findings, Sahinian asserted that

16065-679: 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 , 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

16200-541: 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

16335-605: The suspicions that the Imperial Russian government had about Etchmiadzin becoming a "possible center of the Armenian nationalist sentiment." Formally, Etchmiadzin became the religious center of the Armenians living within the Russian Empire by the 1836 statute or constitution ( polozhenie ). In 1868, Catholicos Gevorg (George) IV made the last major alteration to the cathedral by adding a sacristy (museum and room of relics) to its east end. In 1874, he established

16470-519: The terms he gives admittedly have an Akkadian or Sumerian provenance, but he suggests they were borrowed through Hurrian or Urartian. Given that these borrowings do not undergo sound changes characteristic of the development of Armenian from Proto-Indo-European , he dates their borrowing to a time before the written record but after the Proto-Armenian language stage. Contemporary linguists, such as Hrach Martirosyan , have rejected many of

16605-546: Was "in the form of a square enclosing a Greek cross and contains two chapels, one on either side of the east apse." Although the seat of the Catholicos was transferred to Dvin sometime in the 460s–470s or 484, the cathedral never lost its significance and remained "one of the greatest shrines of the Armenian Church." The last known renovations until the 15th century were made by Catholicos Komitas in 618 (according to Sebeos ) and Catholicos Nerses III (r. 640–661). In 982

16740-405: Was built in the early fourth century—between 301 and 303 according to tradition—by Armenia's patron saint Gregory the Illuminator , following the adoption of Christianity as a state religion by King Tiridates III . It was built over a pagan temple, symbolizing the conversion from paganism to Christianity. The core of the current building was built in 483/4 by Vahan Mamikonian after the cathedral

16875-451: Was constructed at the cathedral's east end. Today, it incorporates styles of different periods of Armenian architecture . Diminished during the early Soviet period, Etchmiadzin revived again in the second half of the twentieth century, and under independent Armenia. As the center of Armenian Christianity, Etchmiadzin has been an important location in Armenia not only religiously, but also politically and culturally. A major pilgrimage site, it

17010-564: Was gradually called Ejmiatsin ( Armenian : Էջմիածին ), 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 . The political capital of

17145-474: Was its official name between 1945 and 1995. It is still commonly used colloquially and in official bureaucracy, a case of dual naming . The city is best known as the location of Etchmiadzin Cathedral and Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin , the center of the Armenian Apostolic Church . It is thus unofficially known in Western sources as a " holy city " and in Armenia as the country's "spiritual capital". It

17280-453: Was later salvaged and transferred to Etchmiadzin or may have been brought from Lhasa to Armenia by New Julfa merchants in the 17th century, around the time the bell tower was built. Etchmiadzin's interior is extensively decorated with Persian -influenced frescoes. They depict flowers, birds, scrollwork , arabesque ornamentations. Bryce and Villari found the interior impressive, while Lynch called it "sufficiently remarkable". Porter found

17415-604: Was murdered in April 1938 by the NKVD . In August of that year, the Armenian Communist Party decided to close down the monastery, but the central Soviet government seemingly did not approve of such a measure. Isolated from the outside world, the cathedral barely continued to function and its administrators were reduced to some twenty people. It was reportedly the only church in Soviet Armenia not to have been seized by

17550-414: Was one of the major cities and a capital 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. According to Movses Khorenatsi , the area of Vagharshapat was known as Artimed (Արտիմէդ), derived from

17685-560: Was reported by foreign travelers and scholars throughout the 19th century. According to Simon Maghakyan, the bell was removed in the late 1930s by the Soviets and has disappeared without a trace. The inscription survives as a copy in an 1890 book by Ghevont Alishan : Dan Martin, a scholar of Tibet, wrote that the three-syllable mantra oṃ aḥ hūṃ , repeated thrice on the bell, is ubiquitous in Secret Mantra Buddhism and

17820-437: Was severely damaged in a Persian invasion. From its foundation until the second half of the fifth century, Etchmiadzin was the seat of the Catholicos , the supreme head of the Armenian Church. Although never losing its significance, the cathedral subsequently suffered centuries of virtual neglect. In 1441 it was restored as catholicosate and remains as such to this day. Since then the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has been

17955-405: Was situated between Proto-Greek ( centum subgroup) and Proto-Indo-Iranian ( satem subgroup). Ronald I. Kim has noted unique morphological developments connecting Armenian to Balto-Slavic languages . The Armenian language has a long literary history, with a 5th-century Bible translation as its oldest surviving text. Another text translated into Armenian early on, and also in the 5th-century,

18090-682: Was the Armenian Alexander Romance . The vocabulary of the language has historically been influenced by Western Middle Iranian languages , particularly Parthian ; its derivational morphology and syntax were also affected by language contact with Parthian, but to a lesser extent. Contact with Greek, Persian , and Syriac also resulted in a number of loanwords. There are two standardized modern literary forms, Eastern Armenian (spoken mainly in Armenia) and Western Armenian (spoken originally mainly in modern-day Turkey and, since

18225-521: Was transferred from the Cilician city of Sis back to Etchmiadzin . Between 1502 and 1828, Armenia became part of the Persian state under the rule of Safavid , Afsharid and Qajar 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 — was handed over to

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