ancient ruins
Zvartnots Cathedral
Haunting ring of 7th-century columns from a collapsed circular cathedral, framed by Mount Ararat on the Yerevan–Etchmiadzin road; a UNESCO World Heritage ruin.
4 km · about 5 min drive
AsiaArmeniaArmavir
Vagharshapat
Armavir, Armenia · Asia
About Vagharshapat
Vagharshapat is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Hovtamej, 4km from Zvartnots Cathedral.
Vagharshapat is in Armavir, Armenia, with about 48,000 people. The nearest town is Hovtamej, about 4 km away.
Vagharshapat (Armenian: Վաղարշապատ pronounced [vɑʁɑɾʃɑˈpɑt]) is the fifth largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about 18 km (11 mi) west of the capital Yerevan, and 10 km (6 mi) north of the Turkish-Armenian border. It is commonly known as Ejmiatsin (Էջմիածին,Read more
pronounced [ɛt͡ʃʰmi(j)ɑˈt͡sin] , also spelled Etchmiadzin or Echmiadzin), which was its official name between 1945 and 1995. It is still commonly used colloquially and in official bureaucracy, a case of dual naming.
The city is best known as the location of Etchmiadzin Cathedral and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the center of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is thus unofficially known in Western sources as a "holy city" and in Armenia as the country's "spiritual capital". It was one of the major cities and a capital of the ancient kingdom of Greater Armenia. Reduced to a small town by the early 20th century, it experienced large expansion during the Soviet period becoming, effectively, a suburb of Yerevan. Its population stands just over 37,000 based on 2016 estimates.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Vagharshapat?
Within an hour or so of Vagharshapat: Zvartnots Cathedral (4 km), Amberd Fortress (25 km), Garni Temple (37 km), Khor Virap (40 km).
Are there any good drives near Vagharshapat?
The nearest famous roads are Orbelian's Caravanserai (Vardenyats Pass).
Where is Vagharshapat?
Vagharshapat is in Armavir, Armenia, about 4 km from Hovtamej.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 47,989
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Armenia
- Region
- Armavir
- Timezone
- Asia/Yerevan
- Coordinates
- 40.1656, 44.2946
Tags
Worth the detour from Vagharshapat
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
Amberd Fortress
A 7th-century fortress with an 11th-century church on a triangular spur at 2,300m on the slopes of Mount Aragats, wedged between two river gorges. Ruined by the Mongols in 1236 and never rebuilt.
25 km · about 30 min drive
ancient ruins
Garni Temple
The only standing Greco-Roman colonnaded temple in the former Soviet Union, a 1st-century pagan shrine overlooking the dramatic Azat River gorge.
37 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Khor Virap
An iconic Armenian monastery at the foot of Mount Ararat where Gregory the Illuminator was imprisoned for 13 years, offering the most famous view of Ararat.
40 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Geghard Monastery
A UNESCO partially rock-cut medieval monastery with extraordinary acoustics, said to house the spear that pierced Christ's side at the crucifixion.
45 km · about 50 min drive
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