[2025 Vagharshapat Attraction] Travel Guide for Etchmiadzin Cathedral (Updated Jul)

📅 Itinerary 🗓 Day 1 – Yerevan Highlights • Visit the Cascade Complex – climb the steps or use the escalator for panoramic views of the city. • Explore Republic Square, Opera House, and walk around Northern Avenue. • Visit Vernissage Market (if it’s the weekend) for souvenirs and local crafts. • Evening stroll along Abovyan Street and enjoy local cafes. 🗓 Day 2 – Sacred and Ancient Armenia • Head to Zvartnots Temple – beautiful ruins with Mount Ararat views. • Visit Etchmiadzin Cathedral – the spiritual heart of Armenian Christianity. • Explore Khor Virap Monastery – iconic for its close-up view of Mount Ararat. 🗓 Day 3 – Pagan and Monastic Gems • Visit Garni Temple – a unique pagan temple overlooking a gorge. • Continue to Geghard Monastery – a UNESCO World Heritage Site partially carved into rock. • Optionally stop by the Symphony of Stones nearby Garni. ⸻ 🏨 Accommodation • Paris Hotel Yerevan – Central, elegant, and within walking distance of major sites. ⸻ 🍴 Food Recommendations • Machanenc Restaurant – Traditional Armenian cuisine. • Try: • Tan (a yogurt-based drink) • Pumpkin and chickpea dishes • Local red wine – Armenia is famous for its Areni variety ⸻ 📌 Tips • Carry cash – not everywhere accepts cards, especially outside Yerevan. • Use Yandex Go or GG for taxis – safer and cheaper than street taxis. • Dress modestly when visiting religious sites. • Try Armenian dried fruits and lavash (flatbread) from local markets. • If visiting in spring, bring a light jacket – weather can change quickly.

1. Etchmiadzin Cathedral Highlights: The famous spear of Longinus, known for piercing Christ's side, is on display here! (Note: It is located inside the museum, so you need to pay an additional fee to see it.) The dome inside is also beautifully decorated. However, the interior is not overwhelmingly ornate like Western art but rather solemn. Personally, it wasn't to my taste... 2. Yerevan Opera House Highlights: You can enjoy ballet and opera performances at very affordable prices! The seats are spacious and offer good visibility. However, the audience often uses their smartphones to take pictures during the performance, which makes it hard to focus. The etiquette is quite poor!! It felt like a reflection of the general manners.

Etchmiadzin Cathedral was built in 301-303, it is the first cathedral in Armenia, the main church of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the residence of the Armenian Patriarch, it is the oldest cathedral in the world, known as the 'Vatican of Armenia'. The church was severely damaged later and was almost completely rebuilt in its current form in 483. Etchmiadzin Cathedral houses the legendary spear that pierced Jesus and fragments of Noah's Ark. Unfortunately, the church is currently under repair and is not open. At present, only the exquisite murals and carvings at the entrance can be seen. The serpentine carving represents wisdom, and there are murals of six-winged angels. There are some tombstones on the open space outside the church, which are different from the general tombstones with two years of birth and death. There are three years on them, and the middle year is the year when the tomb owner was baptized and became a Christian.