Excursion to Sardarapat memorial - st. Etchmiadzin - st. Gayane & Hripsime Churches - Zvartnots Cathedral

Sardarapat Memorial is a symbol of pride and survival, the Memorial marks the place of Armenia's successful last-ditch effort to save the nation from obliteration at the hands of the Turks in the Battle of Sardarapat on May 22–26, 1918.

The entrance is flanked by huge winged oxen made of red tufa. A flight of steps leads to a square from which a 26-metre-high bell to rises. The beautiful trellis structure with its twelve bells can be seen from afar. The bells ring every year on the day of the historic victory. The monument is guarded by massive ancient style Armenian-winged lions, and is flanked by a memorial garden for Karabakh (Arstakh) martyrs.

On the grounds of the historic battle one can today visit the Sardarapat Ethnography and Liberation Movement History Museum adjacent to the outdoor monument.

Designed in the shape of a medieval Armenian castle by architect Rafael Israelyan, the museum was opened in 1978.

Collection of Armenia Museum of Ethnography and the national liberation movement contains 70 thousand sets.

Echmiadzin or Vagharshapat is a city in the Armavir region of Armenia, one of the most significant cultural and religious centers of the country.

Etchmiadzin Cathedral is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, located in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin). According to most scholars it was the first cathedral built in ancient Armenia, and is often considered the oldest cathedral in the world.

The original church was built in the early fourth century - between 301 and 303 according to tradition-by Armenia's patron saint Gregory the Illuminator, following the adoption of Christianity as a state religion by King Tiridates III. It was built over a pagan temple, symbolizing the conversion from paganism to Christianity. The core of the current building was built in 483-484 by Vahan Mamikonian after the cathedral was severely damaged in a Persian invasion. From its foundation until the second half of the fifth century, Etchmiadzin was the seat of the Catholicos, the supreme head of the Armenian Church.

The Church of Saint Gayane is a 7th-century church, the religious center of Armenia. It is located within walking distance from the Etchmiadzin Cathedral. Saint Gayane Church sits on the site where the aforementioned saint was martyred during the time of the conversion of Armenia to Christianity in the year 301 AD.

St. Gayane was built by Catholicos Ezra I in the year 630. Its design has remained unchanged despite partial renovations of the dome and some ceilings in 1652.

An airy, triple-arched portico was added to the western façade of the church in 1683 as the burial place for prominent Armenian clergymen.

Frescos of clergymen adorn niches along the interior walls of the portico while saints are depicted on the fresco of the tympanum above the main door.

In 2000, Saint Gayane Church was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites along with historical churches of Vagharshapat.

Saint Hripsime Church was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other nearby churches, including Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia's mother church, in 2000. It is one of the oldest surviving churches in the country.

After conversion to Christianity in 301, Tiridates and Gregory the Illuminator built a martyrium dedicated to Hripsime at the location of her martyrdom, which was half buried underground.

The new church was erected by Catholicos Komitas to replace the original mausoleum built by Catholicos Sahak the Great in 395 AD that contained the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsime. The current structure was completed in 618 AD.

It is known for its fine Armenian-style architecture of the classical period, which has influenced many other Armenian churches since.

Hripsime, along with the abbess Gayane and thirty-two unnamed nuns, are traditionally considered the first Christian martyrs in Armenia's history. They were persecuted, tortured, and eventually killed by king Tiridates III of Armenia.

Zvartnots Cathedral is a 7th-century centrally planned aisled tetraconch type Armenian cathedral built by the order of Catholicos Nerses III (nicknamed Shinogh or the Builder). Now in ruins, it is located at the edge of the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin).

Dedicated to St. Gregory, it was located at the place where a meeting between King Trdat III and Gregory the Illuminator was supposed to have taken place. The cathedral was consecrated in 652.

Zvartnots remained standing until the end of the 10th century. How it collapsed is still debated, though most argues for one of two theories; earthquake, or as a result of Arab raids.

The site was excavated between 1901 and 1907 under the direction of vardapet Khachik Dadian, who uncovered the foundations of the cathedral. The excavations furthermore revealed that Zvartnots stood on the remnants of structures that dated back to the reign of [Urartian]] king Rusa II.

Most scholars accept the 1905 reconstruction by Toros Toramanian, who worked on the original excavations and proposed that the building had three floors. Zvartnots was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2000 together with churches in Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin).

(The price is given per vehicle, regardless of the number of participants)

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