There are many cathedrals and temples around the world today. Some keep a centuries-old history, others are still quite “young”, and some completely ceased to exist due to wars, destruction or natural phenomena.
Many of them were completely or practically destroyed, many were restored to their previous appearance or slightly updated in their design. But all this is appearance. The history of various cathedrals remains rich in events, secrets 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 Echmiadzin Cathedral, which is located in Armenia. This is a beautiful Christian temple, which appeared at the dawn of religion.
How the cathedral appeared
The Echmiadzin 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 in the period from 303 to 484 years, and later - from 1411. In combination, this temple was then the residence of the first Supreme Patriarch Catholicos of all Armenians - Gregory the Illuminator (Lusavorich).
The city where the Echmiadzin 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." Echmiadzin Cathedral is also called the more ancient name - "Shokahat", which translates as "source of light."
The legend of the creation of the cathedral
There is a tradition regarding the construction of this cathedral. He is associated with Tsar Trdat the Third and Catholicos Gregory the Illuminator. According to this legend, the king once gave his subordinates the order to martyrly execute 33 nun sisters, which made him go crazy later. And among the prisoners at that time was Gregory the Illuminator, who was able to heal the king’s affliction, restore his reason and convert him to the Christian faith. Of course, the king’s subjects did the same a little later. Thus, the whole of Armenia was converted to Christianity.
Legends about the location of the temple
There is 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 came to him (Christ). He came down from heaven with a fire hammer in his hand and pointed to the place for the construction of the temple. The cathedral was built on the territory of the former pagan temple, where local pagan gods were worshiped.
There is a similar legend according to which a swamp was formerly located on the site of the future temple. And in a dream to Gregory, Jesus Christ appeared with a golden willow branch, outlining her circle in the right place. The same legend tells that at first the masonry was falling apart daily, and the construction was very 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 Gregory remembered the willow branch. He came to the construction site with a willow branch torn off along the road and began to swing it. According to legend, all evil was dispersed, and nothing else prevented the construction of the city cathedral of St. Etchmiadzin.
The history of the construction of the cathedral
Over its long history, the cathedral has undergone many reconstructions and restorations. Like many other buildings, this masterpiece of architecture has been built for more than one century.
Initially, the Echmiadzin Cathedral was built as a rectangular building, in the form of a simple basilica, and only later it 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 Vahan Mamikonyan, who ruled at that time, contributed to this.
Further changes in the architecture of the cathedral were made by the Catholicos Komitas and Nerses the Third. 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 a three-tier bell tower decorated the western exit. 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, an annex was created on the eastern side of the church - the sacristy, which housed church property and various precious relics. Today this building is a museum where sacred relics, church robes embroidered with pearls and gold, crosses and staves of the Catholicos, various ritual objects are preserved. The museum also preserved Catholicos armchairs, which are decorated with silver figurines, decorated with ivory and mother of pearl.
The most ancient collection of manuscripts was collected and stored by the Etchmiadzin Cathedral. At that time, Armenia, like other states, accumulated a lot of art and literary masterpieces.
But it is worth noting that the values constantly "traveled", which was quite dangerous for 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 in 1441 it returned to Etchmiadzin.
Already in the 20th century, the temple was significantly restored. The columns and arches that held the dome were well fortified, and the dome was lined with lead. Then marble was used to build a new altar and lay the floor of the cathedral. The mural elements of the temple from the inside have also been updated and supplemented with details.
Other buildings located in the cathedral
In addition to the museum, the presence of the Echmiadzin Theological Academy is also worth adding to the description of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral. This educational institution is unique and one of a kind.
As for subjects and training, there are few people attending lectures. The audience includes about 50 people. The basic subjects are mainly humanitarian - philosophy, psychology, logic, languages, world history and rhetoric.
Echmiadzin Cathedral in the present
The history of this temple, as we see, is rich in various facts, filled with legends and legends. Today, Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the main cathedral of Armenia. It is visited annually by many tourists. This is the cultural and spiritual heritage of the state, uniting all believers.