St. Katoghiké Astvatsatsin

Until the early Soviet era, St. Katoghiké was the largest church in Yerevan (16 x 28 meters). It is located at the corner of Sayat- Nova and Abovian Streets in the courtyard behind the Linguistics Institute.

This church complex holds an important place in the history of the Armenian Church, Armenian literature, and the city of Yerevan. The church reformer Catholicos Movses Siunetsi resided at the Cathedral. The monk Avetik also copied Arakel Davrizhetsi’s renowned history at the Cathedral. In 1652, clean drinking water was first brought to Yerevan by an aqueduct from the Forty Springs located 19 km. from the city to the courtyard of St. Katoghiké and from there a distribution system was built for central Yerevan.

St. Katoghiké Astvatsatsin is Yerevan’s oldest extant church. There are references to St. Katoghiké from as early as 1679. The design of the khachkars and inscriptions indicate that the chapel was rebuilt in 1693, on the site of the older, 13th-century church, St. Astvatsatsin, after the great earthquake of 1679.

In the mid-thirties, city planners decided that this central corner of Yerevan should be used for a public building. At that time, the cathedral, which was in disrepair and thought to be a 17thcentury structure, was designated for demolition. However, the demolition was halted when artifacts were uncovered confirming church records of a 13th-century church on that site. Artifacts from the excavation of the church are on display in the church courtyard. St. Katoghiké was reconsecrated in 1995 as a parish church and in 2003 the site was transferred to the auspices of Etchmiadzin in anticipation of restoration of the church and its environs, including demolition of the adjacent dilapidated building and establishment of a historical park on this site.