Saint Hripsime Church
| Saint Hripsime Church | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| Rite | Armenian |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 85 Mesrop Mashtots Street, Vagharshapat, Armavir Province, Armenia |
Interactive map of Saint Hripsime Church | |
| Coordinates | 40°10′01″N 44°18′34″E / 40.1670°N 44.3095°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Domed tetraconch |
| Style | Armenian |
| Founder | Catholicos Komitas |
| Completed | c. 618 (church) 1653 (portico) 1790 (belfry) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 22.8 m (75 ft) |
| Width | 17.7 m (58 ft) |
| Interior area | 212 m2 (2,280 sq ft) |
| Height (max) | 32 m (105 ft) |
| Dome height (inner) | 23 m (75 ft) |
| Official name: Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | (ii) (iii) |
| Designated | 2000 (24th session) |
| Reference no. | 1011-004 |
| Region | Western Asia |
Saint Hripsime Church is a seventh-century Armenian Apostolic church in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), Armenia. It was built in 618 by Catholicos Komitas over the tomb of Hripsime, a Roman virgin murdered by Tiridates III and a key figure in the Christianization of Armenia.
Standing largely intact since its construction, the church has been widely admired for its architecture and proportions. Considered a masterpiece of classical Armenian architecture, it has influenced many other Armenian churches. It features innovations, namely trapezoidal niches and conical squinches, containing their first dated examples, a windowed drum, and the only example in Armenia of turrets at the base of the drum serving as anchors and buttresses. The two inscriptions left by Komitas constitute the second-earliest extant Armenian-language inscriptions. The church was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other nearby churches, including Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia's mother church, in 2000.