Archaeologists discover foundation of earliest documented church in Armenia

Archaeologists from the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia (NAS) and Münster University in Germany have discovered the foundations of the oldest known church in Armenia, found last year during their expedition in the Ararat Province, the NAS said in a press release.

It is the first octagonal church discovered in Armenia, covering an area of nearly 1,000 square meters.

The church was located in the area that was once the ancient city of Artashat (Artaxata), which served as the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia. Its ruins lie on the left bank of the Araks River, near the Khor Virap Monastery, in present-day Ararat Province.

The discovery consists of an octagonal building with cruciform extensions.

“According to radiocarbon dating results, the structure dates back to the first half of the 4th century and is, in fact, the earliest archaeologically documented church in Armenia,” said Mkrtich Zardaryan, head of the expedition, Head of the Department of Ancient Armenian Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences, and Candidate of Historical Sciences.