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Saint Hripsime Church is one of the oldest surviving churches in Armenia. The church was erected atop the original mausoleum built in 395 AD that contained the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsime to whom the church was dedicated. The structure was completed in 618 AD. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
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21 ARMENIA Echmiadzin
Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus St. Gregory the Illuminator The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest national church. It is part of Oriental Orthodoxy and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in the early fourth century (traditionally in 301) in establishing this church. The church claims to have originated in the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus in the 1st century and is an early center of Christianity. It is sometimes referred to as the Gregorian Church but this name is not preferred by the church itself, as it views the Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus as its founders, and St. Gregory the Illuminator as merely the first official governor of the church.
Charent’s ark is a small ark devoted to an Armenian famous writer –Yeghishe Charents who is famous with his number of poems devoted to Mount Ararat and Armenian landscape and the majority of his poems he wrote being inspired by the view opening from this spot
The defenders and fallen heroes of the 40 Days of Musaler [Musa Dagh] resistance during 1915 Armenian Genocide. Architect Rafael Israelyan, sculptor Ara Harutyunyan. Austrian writer, novelist and poet Franz Werfel wrote his work the “Forty Days of Musa Dagh” dedicated to the heroic resistance of Musa Dagh about which the writer learned through European press
Vagharshapat, commonly known as Echmiadzin, is the fourth-largest city in Armenia, located about 18 km west of the capital Yerevan. Vagharshapat is one of the historic capitals of Armenia and the main religious center of the Armenian people
Vagharshapat, Central square Mesrop Mashtoc The Armenian alphabet was one of the key components of preserving Armenian identity in the face of Sassanid incursions and those that followed. Shrouded in myth, the rediscovery of the Armenian alphabet is credited to Mesrop Mashtots, who, under the patronage of King Vramshapour and the Catolicos Sahak Parthev (387-428), traveled to major centers of learning in Asia Minor before "receiving a vision where Christ struck the alphabet on stone“. Vagharshapat, Cathedral seminarium
Group of statues dedicated to the honorary citizens of Vagharshapat
Church of Sainte Hripsime At the end of the 3rd century a group of Christian converts, led by Hripsimeh (called the thirty-nine virgins), who were from the noble Roman class, came to Armenia to escape persecution in the Western Empire. They found refuge, and began preaching the new faith in and around Vagharshapat (present-day Echmiadzin). Hripsimeh is described in legend as the most beautiful maiden in the empire, and T'rdat fell madly in love with her at their first meeting. Struck by her extraordinary beauty, he asked her to live with him in his palace. She refused, saying she was engaged to Christ and could marry no mortal. Spurned by her refusal, T'rdat imprisoned her and her followers
Saint Hripsimé Church is one of the oldest surviving churches in Armenia. The church was erected atop the original mausoleum built in 395 AD that contained the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsimé to whom the church was dedicated. The structure was completed in 618 AD. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Gavit of Saint Hripsime Church
As described by the fifth century Armenian historian Agathangelos, the abbess Gayane led the Christian maiden Hrip'sime and other nuns from Rome to Vagharshapat to escape the persecution of Diocletian.
The pagan Armenian king Trdat, after receiving Diocletian's letter describing her beauty, discovers her hiding place, and falls in love with her. But Hripsime refuses king's love and was martyred by Trdat along with abbess Gayane and other nuns.
The present church with Hripsime grave was erected at the site where she was martyred and St. Gregory Illuminator erected memorial structures for her.
Saint Rhipsime is known as "Arsema" to Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and currently there are three churches in her name found in Ethiopia. Among the churches, the oldest one which is found in one of the islands of Lake Tana is known for its miracles. There are also many old paintings in the church portraying how she was killed by Tiridates III (named as Dirtados by Ethiopians) and how the cruel king was changed into a bear after killing her.
In honor of the saint, Hripsime remains a fairly common female name in Armenia, as do its variants; likewise, Arsema is a very popular name among Ethiopian and Eritrean Christians
