Welcome to
Yerevan
Group Tour: Echmiadzin Cathedral & churches, Zvartnots Temple
- Duration4 hours
- Max Travelers30 people
- Free CancellationUp to 24 hrs
- CategoryBus Tours, Cultural Tours
Overview
Explore Armenia’s religious heritage in and around Yerevan during this 4-5-hour visit to the region’s historic churches. Discover houses of worship like the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Echmiadzin Mother Cathedral, the churches of St. Gayane and St. Hripsime. Next stop is Zvartnots, the medieval temple of St. Gregory built in the 7th century.
Gallery
What's included
On Sundays there is a chance to participate in liturgy
Air-conditioned vehicles
Vehicle & passengers insurance
Professional guide: ENG + RUS consecutively
WiFi in the vehicles
Bottled water & pastries
Admission tickets
What's Not included
Lunch stop (except for Holiday season Dec 25 - Jan 7, when lunch is paid on spot ~10-12 USD)
Hotel pick-up & drop-off
Itinerary
starting and ending point
St. Hripsime church is one of the famous ecclesiastical buildings in the city of Echmiadzin. This is the developed and perfect example of cross-cupola churches in Armenia. The church is notable with its architectural simplicity and loftiness. The tomb of the Christian martyr Virgin Hripsime is in the sacristy of the church. The site is included in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
Not far from the Echmiadzin Cathedral, against the background of white peaks of Ararat, one can see the silhouette of the cupola of St. Gayane church. It was built in the 7th century and belongs to the domed-basilica style. According to the legend, this church was constructed over the tomb of Virgin Gayane, who had been martyred for preaching Christianity. The site is included in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
The center of Armenian Apostolic church u2013 St. Echmiadzin is located 20 km far from Yerevan. The Cathedral of Echmiadzin was founded at the beginning of the fourth century and is one of the oldest churches in the world. According to the legend, the church was built in the place where apparition of Jesus Christ was seen to Gregory The Illuminator in the dream. The interior of the church is covered with frescoes, created by Hovnatanyan family. The residence of the Catholicos and the Theological Academy are situated near the Cathedral. The site is included in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
This marvelous temple is a result of skillfulness and brave creativity of Armenian architects of the 7th century. Having been built on several columns, it was able to survive only till the 10th century. When in the beginning of the 20th century this site was being excavated, many specialists could hardly accept its reconstruction model, designed by famous Armenian architect Toros Toramanyan, as it was difficult to believe, that such a huge and complicated construction could have been built those days, and amazingly at that time one of the bas-relieves of St. Chapelle church in Paris came to prove Toramanyan's version; the bas-relief depicts Zvartnots temple with Noah's Ark and it looks like the model, represented by the architect. The site is included in UNESCO Cultural World Heritage List.
Good to know
Infants are required to sit on an adultu2019s lap
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
The duration is approximate
Seats will not be known in advance
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.