Monasteries and Cathedrals

A drive outside of Yerevan today to visit key religious sites. Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as the state religion in AD 301 and the Armenian Orthodox Church continues to be very important today.

The Monastery of Khor Virap sits high on a hill at the base of Mount Ararat (16,654 feet). It was where Saint Gregory was imprisoned in a deep dungeon. He later helped turn Armenia Christian. The first church was built here in AD 642 and the present dates from the 17th century. Great views of Mount Ararat from here and the sky was clear!

Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral is the headquarters of the Armenian Church

and is the largest Christian cathedral in the world. Unfortunately the cathedral is closed for renovation but we walked around the church, the patriarch’s residence, the student dormitories and chapel. We also had a guided tour of the Treasury where they have important relics on display. They believe that they have a small piece of Noah’s Ark that was found on Mount Ararat. They also believe they have the Holy Lance that pierced the side of Christ and also small slivers of the cross.

A short walk from the complex brought us to a bakery/food stand where we could purchase lunch and sit in the shade. Forget to take a picture of mine — delicious round puffy bread with minced chicken and cheese in a depression in the middle.

Zvartnots was our final stop — an archaeological site with the remains of medieval Armenian Christian buildings. It was known for circular structure and internal columns that supported upper floors. A UNESCO historic site, the complex is slowly being restored.

Back to the hotel by 3:00 PM to rest, shower, get ready for the Farewell Dinner — a night early since all of our planes leave very early morning on Monday. Very fancy restaurant dinner — many courses, concert by a duo playing traditional music. Back at the hotel a group of us sat in the outdoor cafe for a drink. Protests have died down quite a bit. People and police come and go. When I finally got to my room I discovered by email that my flight home was rebooked for Tuesday morning… a complication for seven of us to deal with tomorrow.