Description of the attraction
The Church of St. Hripsime is one of the most striking examples of the religious architecture of Armenia in the early Middle Ages. The church was founded in 618 by Komitas Akhtsetsi on the site of the IV century mausoleum, which previously housed here, where the remains of the martyr Saint Hripsime were kept.
The history of the martyr is closely connected with the history of the emergence of this church. In 301, 37 young Christian girls came from the Roman monastery of St. Paul to Armenia with the abbess Gayane. Hripsime was one of them. The girl was so beautiful that she won the heart of the Roman emperor, who invited her to become his wife. Hripsime refused the emperor and hid in Alexandria with her friends. It was here that the Mother of God appeared to them, showing the way to Armenia. The king of Armenia - Trdat III, having learned about the history of girls and the beauty of Hripsime herself, just as the Roman ruler wanted to marry her. However, the girl refused him, saying that she belongs only to Christ. Trdat III was very angry at such an answer and ordered to kill all the girls, including Hripsime.
The execution of the girls did not ease the soul of the Armenian king. After the incident, Trdat III became possessed by demons. Saint Gregory the Illuminator healed the tsar from the madness, whose relics are now kept in the monastery. Trdat III believed in the power of the Christian faith and made Christianity the state religion of Armenia.
The Church of St. Hripsime is a masterpiece of early Christian architecture. It is a simple and at the same time majestic and slender structure. The temple has a rectangular base. In 1790, a two-tiered bell tower was added to the church. In the church you can see the throne gates inlaid with mother-of-pearl from 1741. Under the altar there is a crypt, where, according to legend, Saint Hripsime was buried.
