Echmiadzin in Armenia

Any visit to Armenia has to include a trip to Echmiadzin (or Etchmiadzin), which is the seat of the Armenian Church. This was the place where Gregory the Illuminator saw a beam of light fall to earth in a vision and where he built the first Mother Church of Armenia between 301 – 303. This is where the Patriarch of the Armenian Church, known as the Catholicos, has his palace.

The Mother Church of Armenia has been renovated a number of times (between 2 – 4 depending on who you talk to). The Northern Wall is the oldest, dating from the 5th Century, whilst two exterior reliefs, one of St Thecia and one of St Paul, are from the same period. In 1720 frescoes were added inside the church, but they were removed in 1891, only to be reinstated in 1956. The interior is dominated by four large pillars supporting the tambour – a cylindrical structure supporting the cupola – and in the centre of the church is a stepped holy table containing many candlesticks and crosses.