Hidden passage discovered in restoration of ancient Armenian church

The Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport has allocated 300 million drams for the restoration of the Tsiranavor Church, a partially ruined 4th–5th century Armenian church located in the village of Parpi.

In a video released by the ministry, ongoing renovation work is shown in full swing. The restoration efforts have been underway since 2023.

Archaeologist Hrachya Tarkhanyan says that while some information had previously been known through measurements and historical records, the excavation revealed a much deeper layer of history than expected.

“An entrance door had been built using hinges, lintels, and a base. Directly behind it was a hidden passage that leads via an underground tunnel to the Parpi Gorge. We knew there was an entrance, but we didn’t know where it led,” Tarkhanyan explained. “The walls are built with roughly hewn, large basalt stones, and the roof is made of similarly massive basalt slabs.”
The church also once included defensive structures that allowed for the protected movement of soldiers.

According to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, the restoration project has been designed to preserve the architectural appearance of the early medieval structure—even in cases where original stones must be replaced.