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Film info

Etchmiadzin Cathedral

1975-06
Vagharshapat, Armavir Province, Armenia

Creator / Collector
Bonar, Andrew Graham

Description
A general view of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral. The lens takes views from the bell tower and details from the ornate carved decoration. We also notice the armenian carved crosses that are known as chachkar, the ornaments of a column, the interior of the bell tower and inscriptions.

A worker builds something and we see one last view of the dome and the bell tower from the courtyard of the temple. The word Etchmiadzin translates as the place where the only son of God descended.

The cathedral is one of the oldest churches in the world and the prevailing view is that it was built in 303 by St. Gregory the Illuminator and King Tiridates III. It is the metropolis of the apostolic church and one of the oldest cathedrals in the world.

Coordinates
40.16156050914137,44.291018337306745

Film Information

Holder
Bonar, Andrew Graham

Quality
HD (1440x1080)

Sound
Yes

Color
Yes

Duration (seconds)
89

Format
Super 8mm

Creator's description


And here we are at Echmiadzin, just outside Erivan. The Armenian Church is one of the oldest in Christendom, and this cathedral at Echmiadzin goes back to A.D. 303, when the Armenians adopted Christianity and built a monastery on this spot on the site of a pagan temple. The Armenians claim that their cathedral is the most ancient in the world, though of course the existing building only goes back a few centuries.

The Armenian Church still flourishes under the leadership of its Catholicos, whose residence is seen here.
Bonar, Andrew Graham