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The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest national church. It is part of Oriental Orthodoxy and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in the early fourth century (traditionally in 301) in establishing this church.The church claims to have originated in the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus in the 1st century and is an early center of Christianity.It is sometimes referred to as the Gregorian Church but this name is not preferred by the church itself, as it views the Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus as its founders, and St. Gregory the Illuminator as merely the first official governor of the church.

Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus St. Gregory the Illuminator

Charent’s ark is a small ark devoted

to an Armenian famous writer –

Yeghishe Charents who is famous with

his number of poems devoted to Mount Ararat and

Armenian landscape and the

majority of his poems he wrote

being inspired by the view opening

from this spot

Memorial to the Musa Dagh resistance, Musaler

The defenders and fallen heroes of the 40 Days of Musaler [Musa Dagh] resistance during 1915 Armenian Genocide. Architect Rafael Israelyan, sculptor Ara Harutyunyan. Austrian writer, novelist and poet Franz Werfel wrote his work the “Forty Days of Musa Dagh” dedicated to the heroic resistance of Musa Dagh about which the writer learned through European press

Musaler

Vagharshapat, commonly known as

Echmiadzin, is the fourth-largest city

in Armenia, located about 18 km west of the capital Yerevan.

Vagharshapat is one of the historic capitals of Armenia and the main religious center of the

Armenian people

Vagharshapat, Central square

Vagharshapat, Cathedral seminarium

The Armenian alphabet was one of the key components of preserving Armenian identity in the face of Sassanid incursions and those that followed. Shrouded in myth, the rediscovery of the Armenian alphabet is credited to Mesrop Mashtots, who, under the patronage of King Vramshapour and the Catolicos Sahak Parthev (387-428), traveled to major centers of learning in Asia Minor before "receiving a vision where Christ struck the alphabet on stone“.

Mesrop Mashtoc

Group of statues dedicated to the honorary citizens of Vagharshapat

Sculpture on a house in Vagarshapat

Building near Etchmiadzin Cathedral

“Tree statue” in Vagharshapat

Church of Saint Hripsime

Church of Sainte Hripsime

Church of Sainte Hripsime

At the end of the 3rd century a group of Christian converts, led by Hripsimeh (called the thirty-nine virgins), who were from the noble Roman class, came to Armenia to escape persecution in the Western Empire. They found refuge, and began preaching the new faith in and around Vagharshapat (present-day Echmiadzin).Hripsimeh is described in legend as the most beautiful maiden in the empire, and T'rdat fell madly in love with her at their first meeting.Struck by her extraordinary beauty, he asked her to live with him in his palace. She refused, saying she was engaged to Christ and could marry no mortal. Spurned by her refusal, T'rdat imprisoned her and her followers

Saint Hripsimé Church is one of the oldest surviving churches in Armenia. The church was erected atop the original mausoleum built in 395 AD that contained the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsimé to whom the church was dedicated. The structure was completed in 618 AD. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Gavit of Saint Hripsime Church

As described by the fifth century

Armenian historian

Agathangelos, the abbess Gayane led the Christian maiden Hrip'sime and other nuns from Rome to

Vagharshapat to escape the

persecution of Diocletian.

The pagan Armenian king

Trdat, after receiving

Diocletian's letter describing her

beauty, discovers her

hiding place, and falls in love with

her. But Hripsime refuses king's love and

was martyred by Trdat along with abbess Gayane and other nuns.

The present church with Hripsime grave was erected at the site where she was martyred and St. Gregory Illuminator erected memorial structures for her.

Cross-stone in St. Hripsime church

Gregory the Illuminator baptizes Tiridates III of Armenia

The tomb of S. Hripsime in the catacombs of her church

Saint Rhipsime is known as "Arsema" to Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and currently there are three churches in her name found in Ethiopia. Among the churches, the oldest one which is found in one of the islands of Lake Tana is known for its miracles. There are also many old paintings in the church portraying how she was killed by Tiridates III (named as Dirtados by Ethiopians) and how the cruel king was changed into a bear after killing her.

Tombstone of Saint Hripsime

In honor of the saint, Hripsime remains a fairly common female

name in Armenia, as do its variants; likewise, Arsema is a very popular

name among Ethiopian and

Eritrean Christians

Memorial in the courtyard of St. Hripsime church

Eternity symbolCross-stone in the courtyard of St. Hripsime church

Cross-stone in the courtyard of St. Hripsime church

Sound: Dle Yaman – Zara feat Djivan Gasparyan; Djivan Gasparyan

Text: Internet

Pictures: Internet

Sanda FoişoreanuCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda