Duration 6-7 hours

Echmiadzin (Armenian: Էջմիածին) is the spiritual centre of Armenia and the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians, the head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church. It is the most populous city in Armavir province, about 20 km west of Yerevan. The city originated as Vardkesavan in the 4th or 3rd century BC. King Vagharsh (117-140 AD) had the name changed to Vagharshapat, which still persists as the official appellation of the city. Several decades later, the city became the capital of Armenia and remained the country's most important city until the 4th century AD.
Historically, the focal point of the city is the Etchmiadzin Cathedral. It was originally built by St. Gregory the Illuminator as a vaulted basilica in 301-303, when Armenia was the only country in the world the state religion of which was Christianity. According to the 5th-century Armenian annals, St. Gregory had a vision of Christ descending from heaven and striking the earth with a golden hammer to show where the cathedral should be built. Hence, the patriarch gave the church and the city the new name of Echmiadzin, which may be translated as "the place where the Only Begotten descended". In 480, Vahan Mamikonyan, ordered the dilapidated basilica to be replaced with a new cruciform church.
In 618, the wooden dome was replaced with a stone one, resting on four massive pillars linked to exterior walls by arcades. This was the church much as it is today. Murals in the interior and extravagant rotundas surmounting the apses appeared in the early 18th century. A three-tier belfry was constructed half a century earlier. The cathedral formerly boasted the largest collection of Armenian medieval manuscripts, but these were lately handed over to the Matenadaran.
Immediately west of the cathedral is the Gate of St. Trdat, leading to the imposing patriarchal palace. To the northeast, with buildings both within and outside the enclosure, is the Spiritual Academy. Several Khachkars are north of the cathedral.
Apart from the Etchmiadzin cathedral, the city of Ecthmiadzin contains two highly important and very ancient churches: the church of St. Gayane (630 AD), church of St. Hripsime (618 AD).
Nearby, just a few kilometres away is also the archaeological site of Zvartnots Cathedral famous for its unique design. The church was built between 643 and 652 AD by Catholicos Nerses III.

In 930 AD the church was ruined by an earthquake, and remained buried until its rediscovery in the early 20th century. The site was excavated between 1900 and 1907, uncovering the foundations of the cathedral as well as the remains of the Catholicos palace and a winery. The interior of the fresco-decorated church had the shape of a cross with three aisles, while the exterior was a 32-sided polygon which appeared circular from a distance.
The churches of St. Gayane, St. Hrispsime and the archeological site of Zvartnots, are, just like Etchmiadzin Cathedral, listed among the World Heritage Sites designated by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO.