Zvartnots Cathedral is situated in Vagharshapat, in the Armavir Region, about a 30-minute drive from Yerevan. The name Zvartnots (from the word Zvart) means “happy place”; locals say it once meant the House of Happy Angels.
The site of the cathedral played a great historical role in the Christianisation of Armenia, as it was here that the Armenian king met the first Catholicos, Gregory the Illuminator, who not only illuminated the king spiritually but also healed him from his illness.
King Trdates III adopted Christianity in Armenia in 301 AD, making Armenia the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as a state religion.The main cathedral was built in the 7th century by Catholicos Nerses, better known as Nerses Shinarar (“Nerses the Builder”).
He constructed a cathedral that reached a height of 45 meters. It was so enormous and beautiful against the backdrop of Mount Ararat that many people considered it the third peak of Mount Ararat.
The cathedral had a circular shape with three floors, and inside it had five entrances, each surrounded by five columns.
Catholicos Nerses ordered the cathedral to be richly decorated with symbolic carvings — pomegranates symbolizing fertility, grapes representing the blood of Jesus Christ, and other sacred symbols.
Royal buildings, a palace, monks’ cells, and even a winery were built around the cathedral. Wine was kept in huge clay jars called karas. Unfortunately, the cathedral was completely ruined after a massive earthquake in the 10th century.
Only in the 20th century, under the leadership of architect Toros Toramanian, did excavations begin on the site, leading to the discovery of the remains of the cathedral.
Architects believe that during the earthquake, the massive cupola collapsed because it likely lacked sufficient structural support for its scale. Today, only about 15–20% of the original building has been restored, mostly on the first floor.
The rest is left to the imagination — but even in its ruined state, visitors can still be deeply impressed and can easily imagine how tremendous and magnificent Zvartnots must have been in its former glory.
Comment (0)