Blog Li: The marvelous Zvartnots

The majestic, daring and non-trivial Armenian architecture continue to fill Armenian people’s hearts with pride, and the souls of the guests of the country - with love.

It was love and admiration that could be seen in the eyes of every foreigner who visited the marvelous cathedral of Zvartnots.

The temple of Zvartnots, is a unique building of the Armenian architecture of the 7th century. The temple was built by the Catholicos Nerses III Builder at the traditional site where King Trdat and St. Gregory the Illuminator had met during the events with the conversion of Armenia to Christianity in 301 A.D.

The temple was built by the Catholicos Nerses III Builder at the traditional site where King Trdat and St. Gregory the Illuminator had met during the events with the conversion of Armenia to Christianity in 301 A.D.

The cathedral is dedicated to the angels who descended above with Christ and appeared to St. Gregory in a vision.

The cathedral was built in three tiers. However, it was destroyed either by the earthquake or Arab invasions.

Monk Khachik Dadyan in 1901 began the excavation of the temple, and in 1904 he was joined by the architect Toros Toramanian, who studied the ruins and compiled the first restoration project of Zvartnots.

A palace with two wings was built not so far from Zvartnots. Even the ruins can tell us that the scale of this palace was in no way inferior to the temple itself. Here are the ruins of the patriarchal palace, the living quarters of Nerses III as well as living rooms, cells and utility rooms.

It is impossible to convey by words the feelings that filled me at that very moment, and pride, enjoying inspired faces of the travelers. And this is definitely not the last time when the result of the Armenian architecture touches a soft spot in the heart of each of you

The original authors: Liana Khudoyan, Paruir Suniavsky