This visit was one of our last in Armenia but an important one. We visited the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which is in the middle of the Etchmiadzin Monastery complex. Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It was the first cathedral built in ancient Armenia and is often regarded as the oldest cathedral in the world. It is said to have been built where Gregory the Illluminator had a vision of Christ striking the ground with a golden hammer. Our guide said that this place is the "Vatican" to the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The original church was built between 301 and 303, according to tradition. It was built over a pagan temple, symbolizing Armenia's conversion from paganism to Christianity. The current core of the church was built in 483/484 after the cathedral was severely damaged in a Persian invasion. It has, of course, had additional work and some additions since that time. Since the 5th century, Etchmiadzin has been the seat of the Catholicos, the supreme head of the Armenian Church.

The Etchmiadzin monastery complex is comprised of many buildings including the refectory (17th century), the hotel (18th century), the residence of the Catholicos, the school, the stone reservoir, the printing house, Monk's cells, and over 50 monuments. We had a long visit here but it could have been even longer.

You can see the entrance first. Behind the entrance to the left (not seen) is an outdoor alter where Pope John Paul II said a mass here in 2001. The next three photos will show you three other buildings but you will also notice the amount of space within the monastery. The place was very large.

The cathedral was quite nice, especially considering its age. Most of the monastery grounds were not crowded but the cathedral itself was very crowded and busy with people. It's clearly the highlight of visiting the monastery. It looks pretty good for the oldest cathedral in the world.