ARMENIA - Echmiadzin (Archaeological Site of Zvartnots)

16:23 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

The magnificent cathedral of Zvartnots or St. Grigor by medieval historians, was commissioned by Catholics Nerses III from Taik region, between year 643 – 652. According to historian Sebeos, this cathedral was built on the spot where Gregory the Illuminator met the Armenian king Tr’dat; initiating the king’s conversion and leading to Armenia adopting Christianity as the state religion in 301.

Arriving at the site of Zvartnots.

The ticketing booth.

It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site together with churches in Vagharshapat in 2000. Opening hours of Zvartnots is from 10 am to 5pm.

The site map and historical background of the Architecture Complex.

Zvartnots Cathedral was built in 643 – 652 by Nerses, who was known as “The Builder” for the large number of church that he founded. The cathedral is dedicated to the angels who descended from above the heaven and appeared to St. Gregory in a vision.

Zvarnots Cathedral is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site as the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots.

Description board of the complex can be found as you wonder around the area.

Destroyed in the tenth century either by an earthquake or by the Arabs, the church was not excavated until 1901 – 1907. Only the foundations, portions of the vaulting and walls, some capitals, bases and sections of piers and columns, and fragments of reliefs survived.

At the time Zvartnots was finished, it was one of the tallest structures on earth, about 45 meters high. The Zvartnots was a unique building, it was a central dome building instead of the popular domed cruciform or basilica type building.

The three storey circular, domed building was erected on a stepped foundation. Of the three circular sections, the bottom level was the largest, and the upper levels were of decreasing diameters respectively.

Some of the remaining columns.

The cathedral may be depicted as a marvel of engineering. The multi step foundation along with the cathedral’s massive size gave the entire complex a tremendous sense of grandeur.

Section of the surviving wall.

Reliquary of St George Lusovorich the illuminator. It appears to be a baptistery in the floor reached by going down some steps.

One thing nice about Armenia is the absence of large flocks of tourist.

Part of a collapsed huge structure of the cathedral.

Zvartnots stood for about three centuries before its collapse in the 10th century.

The whole area was actually underground, lost in the eyes of mankind, only to be rediscovered a thousand years later.

The remains of the Catholicos palace and winery.

Roman bath.

Just beside the cathedral, lies the ruins which was once the dwelling quarters of the clergy, the bath with adjoining rooms and a small 5th – 6th Century church.

Measuring 49 meters deep, the well supplied water to the complex community.

Discovered near the cathedral was also a winery.

Panoramic view of the complex.

Also at the site is the Zvartnots Historical Cultural Museum reservation.

Books and souvenirs sold at the museum.

Postcards are also for sale.

Description of Khachik Dadian, the archaeologist who uncovered the ruins of Zvartnots.

Part of the ruins are kept inside the museum.

Excavated items from the complex is placed here in the Museum.

Medieval jars uncovered during excavation. They were made from local clay and designed in such a way that they can be laid on their side during fermenting process.

Some of the early Christian Armenian Architecture.

A model of Zvartnots Cathedral.

With the model, I got a clearer picture of how the cathedral would have looked like. Too bad the actual building is now in ruins. It would have been a magnificent sight.