Echmiatsin
Echmiatsin (Armenian: Էջմիածին) also Ejmiatsin, Echmiadzin, Etchmiadzin, or the new name Vagharshapat (Armenian: Վաղարշապատ) is a city in western Armenia, it's the largest city of the Armavir province. The city has a population of 46,540 (2011).
Echmiatsin is one of the historic capitals of Armenia and the main religious centre of the country, it's the seat of the supreme catholicos, or primate, of the Armenian Apostolic Church. For this reason the city is also known as the Holy City.
The city itself is the centre of a rich region of orchards and vineyards and manufactures plastics, wine, and canned food. It lies on the plain of the Aras River, 12 miles (20 km) west of Yerevan.[1]
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Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots
The cathedral and churches of Echmiatsin and the archaeological remains at Zvartnots graphically illustrate the evolution and development of the Armenian central-domed cross-hall type of church, which exerted a profound influence on architectural and artistic development in the region.[2]
