Church of the Holy Mother of God ( hy, Սուրբ Աստվածածին Եկեղեցի), is a church located in the town of

Vagharshapat Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is com ...

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

. It was built in 1767, during the reign of Catholicos Simeon I of Yerevan, on the remains of a 16th-century wooden church.Mother of God Cathedral in Etchmiadzin
/ref> It is located at the center of modern-day Vagharshapat, around 200 meters north of the walls of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

History and architecture

Prior to the construction of the church, a 16th-century wooden church used to stand on the same point of the modern-day church. According to a description left on a stone in one of the internal walls of the church, Holy Mother of God was built in 1767 with the initiation of Catholicos Simeon I of Yerevan. The church belongs to the type of single nave basilicas with no dome. Many khachkars (cross stones) composed during the 18th century, were placed in the external walls of the church. The churchyard was home to a religious school. During the Soviet period, the church remained active and witnessed a major renovation in 1986 through the efforts of Catholicos

Vazgen I Vazgen I also Vazken I of Bucharest, (), born Levon Garabed Baljian ( hy, Լևոն Կարապետ Աբրահամի Պալճյան; September 20, 1908 – August 18, 1994) was the Catholicos of All Armenians between 1955 and 1994, for a total of 3 ...

, when a belfry was built at the entrance as it never had a belfry prior to this renovation. With the establishment of the

Diocese of Armavir Diocese of Armavir ( hy, Արմավիրի թեմ ''Armaviri t'em''), is a diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church covering the Armavir Province of Armenia. The name is derived from the historic city of Armavir which served as the capital of the ...

in 1996, the church has served as the seat of the diocese until 2014, when it was moved to the newly built Saint Gregory of Narek Church in the town of Armavir.

Gallery

File:Սբ. Աստվածածին եկեղեցու զանգակատունը 02.jpg , The belfry at the entrance File:Խաչքարեր Աստվածածին եկեղեցու պատին.jpg, Khachkars on the external walls File:The bell-tower of the Holy Mother of God Church 01.jpg, Side view of the belfry

References

{{Armenian Churches Buildings and structures in Armavir Province Christian monasteries in Armenia Churches completed in 1767 Tourist attractions in Armavir Province 1767 establishments in Iran Armenian Apostolic churches in Vagharshapat Armenian Apostolic cathedrals in Armenia 18th-century Oriental Orthodox church buildings 18th-century churches in Armenia