Heinblog: Around Yerevan

Khor Virap Monastery and Mt. Ararat

Many of Armenian's most interesting historic sites are 30 km or so outside of the city.

Most of Armenian's historic Christian sites are centered around the life of St. Gregory the Illuminator. Gregory was the first Patriarch of the Armenian Church, and with his guidance Armenia became the world's first Christian country in 301. Like any good Christian story, however, pain and suffering were necessary for the country to be saved. The story goes that Gregory's father, Anak, a Parthian-Armenian prince, assassinated the king of the rival Arsacid Dynasty, Khosrov II. Anak was in turn executed and Gregory was smuggled into Central Anatolia. Later, Gregory converted to Christianity and decided to return of his homeland; there he would atone for his family's sins by saving his countrymen via conversion to Christianity. Khosrov's son, Tiridates III, imprisoned Gregory in the prison fortress Khor Virap (which translates to deep well) for his father's crimes. Gregory remained there for 13 years until he was brought out of the well to save Tiridates III from insanity induced by the Roman Emperor Diocletian's betrayal and capture of much of the Arsacid Empire. Tiridates and his family were baptized by Gregory and the country became a Christian nation. A more likely story is that Tiridates converted the country to Christianity in order to inspire nationalistic/religious fervor to save his country from pagan Rome and Zoroastrian Persia, but whatever the case, the mythology is pretty awesome.

St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) Church. Khor Virap was converted from a prison fortress to a holy site after the St. Gregory's successful conversion of the Armenian people. The Armenian Catholicos (the head of the church) has resided there in the past.

Khor Virap is located right on the border of Turkey, and on a clear day, the view of Mt. Ararat is stunning. Mt. Ararat is also a prominent feature of the Yerevan skyline (Yerevan is 30km north of Khor Virap), and I was lucky to see it in all its glory on my trip out of Armenia.

Doves are often sold at Armenian holy sites so patrons can release them as a prayer for peace. We'd probably have peace by now if these greedy vendors just let the doves go instead of selling them.

The stairs out of St. Gregory's well. Precarious is an understatement.

Etchmiadzin is the spiritual capital of Armenia. It is around 30 km west of Yerevan. It is the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Mother Cathedral, the main church at Etchmiadzin. It's first iteration was built in 301 by St. Gregory.

Housed inside the Church were the treasures of the Catholicos.

Um....

The tip of the Holy Lance that pierced Jesus on the cross (allegedly).

Pieces of the cross Jesus was crucified on (allegedly).

Zvartnots Cathedral is located halfway between Yerevan and Etchmiadzin. It was built in the 7th century by Catholicos Nerses III at the spot where St. Gregory allegedly baptized Tiridates III.

Garni Temple is 30 km east of Yerevan. It was built in the 1st century by Tiridates I. Historians think it was funded by the Roman Emperor Nero and was devoted to the Zoroastrian god Mithra.

Geghard Monastery is another 10 km east of Garni. It was founded in in the 4th century by St. Gregory at the site of a holy spring. Geghard means spear, and the monastery bears this name because the Holy Spear used to be housed here before it was moved to Etchmiadzin.