Cathedral of Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is on UNESCO World Heritage List

The Cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is considered one of the oldest Christian churches in the world. It was built in 301-303, when Armenia officially adopted Christianity as the state religion, the Mother See reports.

“In 2000, Etchmiadzin Cathedral was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Along with the Cathedral, the churches of Sr. Hripsime, St. Gayane and Shoghakat in the town of Vagharshapat were also included. In 2003, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated the 1700th anniversary of the consecration of the Cathedral. On this occasion, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II made a Patriarchal kondak, and on February 3 of the same year he declared 2003 the Year of Holy Etchmiadzin.

In September of the same year, an international conference was held on the topic ‘the Inheritance of the Past, the Mission of Today, and the Hopes for Tomorrow’ dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of the consecration of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral,” the message says.