Etchmiadzin

Etchmiadzin / Vagharschapat Էջմիածին / Վաղարշապատ

coat of arms

flag

State :

Armenia

Province :

Armavir

Founded :

685 BC Chr.

Coordinates :

40 ° 10 ′ N , 44 ° 18 ′ E Coordinates: 40 ° 10 ′ N , 44 ° 18 ′ E

Area :

40 km²

Residents :

52,567 (2009)

Population density :

1,314 inhabitants per km²

Time zone :

UTC + 4

Telephone code :

(+374) 231

Postal code :

1101-1109

Community type:

city

Mayor :

Diana Gasparjan (independent)

Website :

ejmiatsin.am (arm., russ., engl.)

Etchmiadzin / Vagharschapat

Listen to Echmiadzin ^?^/ⁱ ( Armenian Էջմիածին , in English transcription Echmiadzin, in scientific transliteration Ēǰmiacin ), officially until 1945 and again since 1992 Wagharschapat (Armenian Վաղարշապատ , in scientific transliteration Vałaršapat , also Wagarschapat ), is a city in the Armenian province of Armawir , about 20 km west of Yerevan with 52,567 inhabitants (as of 2009).

Cityscape

From the 2nd to 4th century the capital of Armenia, Vagharschapat is today the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians , the spiritual head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, with the Surb Etchmiadzin Cathedral . The city has three well-known churches, the Cathedral, St. Gajane , St. Hripsime , and two other churches, Schoghakat and in the center the Church of Our Lady ( Surb Astvatsatsin ) from the 19th century. The churches are an important example of early Armenian church architecture. The cathedral is said to be the first cross-domed church , it goes back to an original building of 485. However, due to earthquakes and enemy attacks, the church had to be rebuilt again and again.

The name Etschmiadzin means something like "descended the native ", since the church is said to have been built on the place where Christ appeared to Gregory the Illuminator. Together with the nearby archaeological site of Zvartnots are the churches of Echmiadzin UNESCO World Heritage Site . Yerevan Airport , called Zvartnots, is also nearby .

photos

cathedral
View of the cathedral (postcard)
Church of St. Gayane
Church of St. Hripsime

Town twinning

Etschmiadzin / Vagharschapat lists six twin cities :

city	country	since
Fresno	United States California, USA	2009
Hadrut	Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh	2010
Issy-les-Moulineaux	France France	1989
Martakert / Aghdara	Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh	2010
Petrozavodsk	Russia Russia, Karelia	2004
Sergiev Posad	Russia Russia	2012
Veliko Tarnovo	Bulgaria Bulgaria	2012