There are many cathedrals and temples around the world today. Some keep a centuries-old history, others are still quite “young”, and some have completely ceased to exist due to wars, destruction or natural phenomena.
Many of them have been completely or practically destroyed, many have been restored to their former appearance or slightly updated in their design. But it's all appearance. The history of various cathedrals remains rich in events, mysteries and interesting facts.
And, of course, the most interesting will be the history of the first Christian churches in the world that have survived to this day. One of these buildings is the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which is located in Armenia. This is the most beautiful Christian temple that appeared at the dawn of religion.
How the cathedral came about
Etchmiadzin Cathedral was actually built back in 301 AD. Today it is the main Christian temple of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In those summers, he dominated from 303 to 484, and later from 1411. Byconcurrently, this temple was then the residence of the first Supreme Patriarch of the Catholicos of all Armenians - Gregory the Illuminator (Lusavorich).
The city where the Etchmiadzin Cathedral was built - Vagharshapat is the oldest city that was founded on the site of the ancient settlement of Vargdesavan by King Vargash the First in the first half of the 2nd century AD. Later the name of the city was changed to Etchmiadzin.
The very word "Etchmiadzin" means "the place where the Only Begotten appeared". Also, the Echmiadzin Cathedral is called the more ancient name - "Shokahat", which translates as "source of light".
The legend of the creation of the cathedral
There is a legend regarding the construction of this cathedral. He is associated with Tsar Trdat the Third and Catholicos Gregory the Illuminator. According to this legend, the tsar once ordered his subordinates to martyr 33 sisters-nuns, which is why he later went mad. And among the prisoners at that time was Gregory the Illuminator, who was able to heal the king's illness, restore his mind and convert him to the Christian faith. Of course, the subjects of the king did the same a little later. Thus, all of Armenia was converted to Christianity.
Legends about the location of the temple
There is also a legend about the place where the temple was supposed to be located. The future first Catholicos could not choose a place for the cathedral for a long time, but one day Gregory, who later became the first patriarch of Etchmiadzin, had a dream. In a dream, the Only Begotten (Christ) came to him. Hedescended from heaven with a fiery hammer in his hand and pointed to the place for the construction of the temple. The cathedral was built on the territory of a former pagan temple, where local pagan gods were worshiped.
There is a similar legend, according to which a swamp was located on the site of the future temple. And in a dream, Jesus Christ appeared to Gregory with a golden willow branch, outlining a circle with it in the right place. The same legend tells that at first the masonry fell apart every day, and construction was greatly slowed down by this. Then Jesus appeared to the Catholicos a second time to say that the place was cursed by the presence of evil spirits and that he would disperse it. And then Grigory remembered the willow branch. He came to the construction site with a willow branch plucked along the way and began to wave it. According to legend, all evil spirits were dispersed, and nothing else prevented the construction of the city's Cathedral of St. Etchmiadzin.
The history of the construction of the cathedral
During its long history, the cathedral has undergone many reconstructions and restorations. Like many other buildings, this architectural masterpiece has been built for centuries.
Initially, Etchmiadzin Cathedral was built as a rectangular building, in the form of a simple basilica, and later became a cathedral with a dome in the center. The first material used for it was wood. Already in the 5th century, the temple acquired a cruciform shape with a dome. Prince Vagan Mamikonyan, who ruled at that time, contributed to this.
Further changes in the architecture of the cathedral were made by the Catholicoses of Komitas andNerses III. And in the first half of the 7th century, it was decided to rebuild the cathedral, using stone instead of wood. Then the outlines of the cathedral were laid, which have survived to this day.
In the 12th century, another dome was built, and now the western exit was decorated with a three-tiered bell tower. And after 6 centuries, six-column rotundas (a round building with a dome) were added on three sides of the temple - on the southern, northern and eastern sides. Now the cathedral had a five-domed wedding.
The cathedral was painted in 1721. The basic elements are a naturalistic ornament in the form of blue-violet and red-orange plants.
Museum in Etchmiadzin Cathedral
In 1869, on the eastern side of the temple, an extension was created - a sacristy, in which church property and various precious relics were stored. Today this building is a museum where sacred relics, church robes embroidered with pearls and gold, crosses and staffs of Catholicoses, various ritual objects have been preserved. The museum also preserved the chairs of the Catholicos, which are decorated with figurines made of silver, trimmed with ivory and mother-of-pearl.
It was the Etchmiadzin Cathedral that collected and kept the oldest collection of manuscripts. Armenia at that time, like other states, accumulated many artistic and literary masterpieces.
But it is worth noting that the valuables were constantly "traveling", which was quite dangerousfor them because of their fragility. An example of this is the transfer of the residence of the Catholicos to Dvin. Until the 12th century, the collection continued to move until it returned to Etchmiadzin in 1441.
Already in the 20th century, the temple was substantially restored. The columns and arches that held the dome were well fortified, and the dome was lined with lead. At the same time, marble was used to build a new altar and lay the floor of the cathedral. The interior painting elements of the temple were also updated and supplemented with details.
Other buildings located on the territory of the cathedral
In addition to the museum, the description of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral should also include the presence of the Theological Academy of Holy Etchmiadzin. This educational institution is unique and one of a kind.
In terms of subjects and teaching, there are not many people attending the lectures. The audience includes about 50 people. The core subjects are mostly humanities - philosophy, psychology, logic, languages, world history and rhetoric.
Etchmiadzin Cathedral in modern times
The history of this temple, as we see, is rich in various facts, filled with legends and tales. Today the Cathedral of Etchmiadzin is the main cathedral of Armenia. It is visited by many tourists every year. This is the cultural and spiritual heritage of the state, uniting all believers.
