UNDER CONSTRUCTION

   S (left turn from the main road) of Zvartnots is Voskehat (formerly Patrinj).

   The   Monastery   of   Surp   Ejmiatsin (“The Descent of the Only-Begotten” in traditional etymology) is surrounded by the city of the same name, now officially renamed Vagharshapat after its 2nd century AC founder, King Vagharshak.  The city may also be identical with  Kainepolis  (“New City”) founded as a replacement for the ruined       Artashat            by            King

        

Sohaemus/Tigran,  who was twice installed on the throne by Roman armies, first by Antoninus Pius (lasting from 144-161 AC) and then by Marcus Aurelius (164-186).  The city's common name in early modern times was Uch-Kilise or "Three Churches," named for the most prominent features of the local landscape. There are three other major early churches in town:  First is S. Hripsime Church of 618, built to the right of the main road on the traditional site of this martyr’s tomb-traditionally; S.Gayane Church of 630 was also built on the site of Gayane’s martyrdom. Shoghakat Church of 1694 was built by Prince Aghamal Shorotetsi on the site of an early chapel to one of S. Hripsime’s companions.  Near Shoghakat is a small, ruined single-aisle chapel of the 5-6th c. Because the Armavir diocese, founded in 1996 on creation of the marz, has no church or bishop’s residence in the marz capital of Armavir city, the Bishop currently operates out of Ejmiatsin’s S. Astvatsatsin church (1767).  In 1998 there were only eight working churches and 13 priests to serve Armavir Marz’s official population of 315,000. Vagharshapat also claims a hotel, the museums of local artists Manuk Abeghian and Hovhannes Hovhannisian, and the gallery of Khoren Harutian.  Just S of Ejmiatsin is the tell of Teghut, a Chalcolithic-Early Bronze Age settlement excavated and published by archaeologist Rafik Torosian.

"KARMIR LOLIK" cannery