Holy Etchmiadzin, Armenia

Etchmiadzin, #1, Armenia, 2022

The “Vatican” of Armenia and the Oldest Cathedral in the World

This campus-like space, held in warm embrace by the surrounding small city of Vagharshapat (Ejmiatsin), is another of Armenia’s holy sites and is formally known as the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. This is the governing, academic, and spiritual heart of the Armenian Church and is also the residence of the head of said Church, this man (yes, always a man) being known as the Catholicos of All Armenians.

So, in a manner of speaking, the Pope has Vatican City while the Armenians have Etchmiadzin.

Perhaps the heart within the heart of this sacred place would be the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church and considered by many to be the oldest Christian cathedral in the world, with an original founding at the beginning of the 4th century. (Naturally, there have been a lot of rebuilds and renovations along the way–including the current ongoing major repair job–so virtually none of the original is still visible.)

This is another very special/spiritual and historically significant site that is located within a 45-minute pilgrimage or so of Yerevan (by tourist van or car), so easily visited if you are staging out of that city.

The Photographs

Mid-day sun, very few clouds… tough conditions to make photographs of any note. B&W treatment seemed most appropriate for this high contrast situation, while attempting to find reasonably pleasing compositions. On rare occasions, a cloud would float by and I tried to include these interlopers as best I could for a bit more interest. All in all, the result was just travel documentary photography rather than anything truly artistic–but that’s OK… it’s all fun!

If you enter the complex from the main drag, you’ll almost immediately encounter a giant stone pillar reaching into the heavens. This is the appropriately-named Church of the Holy Archangels, a relatively modern construction (2007-2011)…

Etchmiadzin, #3, Armenia, 2022

Etchmiadzin, #6, Armenia, 2022

The first of the clouds…

Etchmiadzin, #16, Armenia, 2022

Etchmiadzin, #2, Armenia, 2022

Etchmiadzin, #4, Armenia, 2022

Etchmiadzin Monastery…

Etchmiadzin, #9, Armenia, 2022

Etchmiadzin, #11, Armenia, 2022

Etchmiadzin, #13, Armenia, 2022

The Monastic Residence…

Etchmiadzin, #15, Armenia, 2022

The oldest cathedral in the world, currently undergoing yet another a major renovation to prolong its already very long life, so no visitors allowed inside at the moment…