Etchmiadzin Cathedral

Etchmiadzin Cathedral

Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church and is considered the oldest cathedral in the world. It was the first cathedral (but not the first church) built between 301 and 303 by Armenia's patron saint Gregory the Illuminator, following the adoption of Christianity as a state religion by King Tiridates III. According to the 5th-century Armenian annals, St. Gregory had a vision of Christ descending from heaven and striking the earth with a golden hammer to show where the cathedral should be built. Hence, the patriarch gave the church and the city the new name of Etchmiadzin, which may be translated as "the place where the Only Begotten descended". The Cathedral of Etchmiadzin is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.