St Hripsime Church
Model of classical 7th-century Armenian architecture
- Area Armavir
- Type Religious site
- Time needed 30m
St Hripsime in Echmiadzin is a 7th-century church widely used as the textbook example of classical Armenian design, a domed cross plan of near-perfect proportions. It stands within walled grounds on the eastern approach to the town.
Open in the planner →Getting there
Echmiadzin is about 24 km and roughly 26 minutes from Yerevan on the app's estimate, on a fast road west across the plain. The church is beside the main road into town.
What you see
The exterior is the lesson here: the clean geometry of the dome on its sixteen-sided drum, the shallow blind arcading and the restrained carving around the windows. Inside, the space is high, bare and symmetrical, with a crypt beneath the altar. The grounds hold khachkars and a bell tower added much later than the church.
What to pair it with
St Gayane, Shoghakat and the mother cathedral at Echmiadzin are all within a few minutes, and Zvartnots is on the road back to Yerevan.
When to go
Mornings are quieter; the churches of Echmiadzin draw pilgrims and coach groups through the middle of the day. Sunday services restrict movement inside.
What is hard about it
The interest is architectural rather than visual, and anyone not following the development of the domed church plan will find it a plain interior. All three Echmiadzin churches start to feel similar if visited in quick succession.
Common questions
Why is this church so often cited?
Its plan and proportions became a model for later Armenian architecture, which is why it appears in almost every survey of the subject.
Is it part of the UNESCO listing?
Yes, it is included in the World Heritage inscription covering the churches of Echmiadzin and the site of Zvartnots.
How much time do I need?
Half an hour is ample, including a walk round the exterior, which is the part worth the attention.
Nearby
- Echmiadzin CathedralMother church of the Armenian Apostolic Church
- Zvartnots Cathedral ruinsRuins of a 7th-century circular cathedral
- St Gayane ChurchHarmonious 7th-century church in Echmiadzin
- Shoghakat ChurchSmall 17th-century church in Echmiadzin
- Sardarapat MemorialBattle memorial and ethnography museum
- MetsamorBronze Age metallurgy site and museum
More of the same kind
- Blue Mosque18th-century Persian mosque with a tiled courtyard
- St Gregory the Illuminator CathedralLargest cathedral in Armenia, consecrated in 2001
- Katoghike ChurchTiny 13th-century chapel, the oldest in central Yerevan
- Zoravor Church17th-century church in a quiet courtyard