Vagharshapat, Armenia
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
—Bible, Genesis 6:8
The Etchmiadzin Cathedral, world headquarters of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church, is the most visited pilgrimage destination in Armenia by Orthodox Christians. The fourth-century A.D. buff-colored, angular church has three towers capped with crosses, a fifth-century dome, and a softly lit Byzantine interior adorned with sacred art. This ancient holy site was once home to a Zoroastrian fire temple and then a temple of Venus under the Romans. In the early fourth century, a Christian church was built by Saint Gregory the Illuminator, after he experienced a numinous vision of the Holy Spirit, in which Christ descended with a golden hammer to show him where to build a church that would shelter the Armenian faithful for centuries to come. The cathedral safeguards holy relics such as the sword that pierced Jesus’ side and a piece of wood that has been carbon-dated to six thousand years and is believed to be from Noah’s Ark.
If you are seeking God’s safekeeping, visit Etchmiadzin Cathedral to be reminded that even in the Great Flood, God protected Noah, his family, and the animals in the Ark. The cathedral is located about 15 miles from Yerevan in the town of Vagharshapat.
Light a candle and pray that just as the Holy Spirit descended upon Saint Gregory, you, too, might be sheltered and safeguarded in your passage through life.
Frescoes from biblical scenes and saintly figures adorn the interior of this magnificent World Heritage site, believed to be the oldest cathedral in the world.