Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

Etchmiadzin, whose name means the Only-Begotten descended, is the mother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians, in Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), Armenia. Tradition holds that Gregory the Illuminator founded it in 301-303, immediately after King Tiridates III adopted Christianity, making it among the oldest cathedral sites in continuous Christian use; the current cathedral core dates largely from the fifth century with later layers. UNESCO inscribed the cathedral and churches of Echmiatsin and the archaeological site of Zvartnots in 2000.

A major structural restoration closed the cathedral in the early 2020s; it was re-consecrated on September 29, 2024 with the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy under Catholicos Karekin II. The Sacred See complex includes the treasury, museums and adjacent churches, with Saints Hripsime and Gayane nearby in the same UNESCO group. This entry fills the library's Armenian Apostolic gap alongside its monuments.

Visiting

Entry is free, daily, following the liturgical schedule; modest dress expected; check armenianchurch.org for the posted schedule before publishing a visit.

Photo: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2014_Prowincja_Armawir,_Wagharszapat,_Katedra_w_Eczmiadzynie_(04).jpg), CC BY-SA 4.0, Marcin Konsek.