Saint Hripsime Church
| Saint Hripsime Church | |
|---|---|
View of the church, 2009
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Vagharshapat, Armavir Province, Armenia |
| Geographic coordinates | 40°10′01″N 44°18′35″E / 40.166992°N 44.309675°ECoordinates: 40°10′01″N 44°18′35″E / 40.166992°N 44.309675°E |
| Affiliation | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| Rite | Armenian |
| Status | Active |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Tetraconch |
| Architectural style | Armenian |
| Founder | Komitas Aghtsetsi |
| Completed | 618 (current building) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 22.8 metres (75 ft) |
| Width | 17.7 metres (58 ft) |
| Official name: Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii |
| Designated | 2000 (24th session) |
| Reference no. | 1011 |
| Region | Western Asia |
Saint Hripsime Church (Armenian: Սուրբ Հռիփսիմե եկեղեցի, Surb Hřip’simē yekeghetsi; sometimes Hripsimeh) is a seventh century Armenian Apostolic church in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), Armenia. It is one of the oldest surviving churches in the country. The church was erected by Catholicos Komitas to replace the original mausoleum built by Catholicos Sahak the Great in 395 AD that contained the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsime to whom the church is dedicated. The current structure was completed in 618 AD. It is known for its fine Armenian-style architecture of the classical period, which has influenced many other Armenian churches since. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other nearby churches, including Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia's mother church, in 2000.
Hripsime, along with the abbess Gayane and thirty-eight unnamed nuns, are traditionally considered the first Christian martyrs in Armenia's history. They were persecuted, tortured, and eventually killed by king Tiridates III of Armenia. According to the chronicler Agathangelos, after conversion to Christianity in 301, Tiridates and Gregory the Illuminator built a martyrium dedicated to Hripsime at the location of her martyrdom, which was half buried underground. In 395 Patriarch Sahak the Parthian (Isaac of Armenia) rebuilt or built a new martyrium, which had been destroyed by the Persians.
During excavations in 1958 stones with Hellenistic ornaments were found under the supporting column, which proved that a Hellenistic pagan temple once stood in its place. Excavations around the church have uncovered remains of several tortured women buried in early Christian manner, which "seem to support the story of Agathangelos."
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