Echmiadzin

Echmiadzin was once the capital of Armenia is today a busy market town, Echmiadzin is also the religious capital of Armenia and a place of pilgrimage for Christian Armenians from all over the world. Cathedral of Echmiadzin (meaning, literally, the "only-begotten descended") was built in 301. It has been the center of the independent Armenian Church for the last 1,700 years. Echmiadzin is 20 KM (12 miles) west of Yerevan.

Cathedral of Echmiadzin

The Echmiadzin Cathedral was originally built by St. Gregory, an annex to the Cathedral is the Museum of Echmiadzin, which preserves highly prized paintings and religious artefacts. The present cathedral was rebuilt in the sixth-seventh centuries and has been added to and embellished ever since. The new marble floor and altar are a recent gift from the Gulbenkian family. Cathedral of Echmiadzin has been listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.