St. Shoghakat church

Saint Shoghakat may be modest in size, but it stands as a striking architectural testament and an essential part of the spiritual and historical tapestry of Etchmiadzin. The newest among the churches in the complex, it was erected in 1694 by Prince Aghamal of the Shorotetsi family, just west of the Church of Saint Hripsime.

Built on the site of a 4th-century chapel, Shoghakat is a rare example of a domed hall—a style Armenian architects had mastered by the 7th century. This architectural form features a single vaulted span crowned with a dome, skillfully executed without the need for internal supports. Armenian builders, renowned for their ingenuity, achieved wide, uninterrupted interiors with expertly constructed vaults.

The entrance is marked by a vaulted gallery built simultaneously with the church, crowned by a six-column rotunda serving as the bell tower. An octagonal drum lifts the central dome, enhancing the spaciousness of the interior. The overall restraint of its design mirrors elements seen in the nearby Cathedral and the Church of Saint Hripsime, tying Shoghakat harmoniously into the larger ensemble.

According to Agathangelos, the Roman emperor Diocletian—still a pagan—sought to marry the Christian nun Hripsime. She, along with her mentor Gayane and a group of fellow nuns, fled persecution and took refuge in Armenia. When Diocletian learned of their escape, he wrote to King Tiridates III, urging him to find the women and return Hripsime to Rome, or else execute them. Tiridates, captivated by Hripsime, attempted to win her over himself. When she refused, he ordered their isolation and execution.

The Church of Saint Hripsime marks the site of her martyrdom. According to tradition, Saint Shoghakat was built where a beam of divine light is said to have descended upon the slain women. The name Shoghakat—meaning “drop of light”—commemorates this moment.

Over the centuries, parts of the church complex were lost. By the 1980s, only the eastern façade remained intact, but even this collapsed in March 1982. The present-day church entrance lies to the west and is crowned by an eight-column bell tower rotunda.

Near the church, ruins of a small 6th–7th-century chapel were discovered. Its plan and proportions are consistent with early medieval architecture, suggesting that Shoghakat was constructed atop an earlier religious structure from the 6th to 8th centuries. The dome, resting on an octagonal drum, does not sit in the geometric center of the church but is supported by two pairs of wall columns—a design typical of early Armenian churches.

Excavations to the southwest uncovered remnants of a 4th-century single-nave basilica made of finely hewn tuff stone. A semicircular apse, attached to the southern wall, likely concluded a once-columned hall. The basilica featured two entrances—one from the west, one from the south—and sacristies in a style typical of the 4th–5th centuries.

Today, Saint Shoghakat is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.