St. Gayane Temple, Echmiadzin

Saint Gayane was the abbess of a convent in Asia Minor, whose thirty-seven nuns fled to Armenia seeking refuge from the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Yet, in Armenia—a land then as pagan as the Roman Empire—they found no sanctuary or peace. Most of these devout women were martyred under the orders of King Trdat III of Armenia.

The temple, erected in 630 AD over the burial site of the martyr Saint Gayane, has remarkably survived to the present day almost in its original form. It stands as a magnificent exemplar of early medieval Armenian ecclesiastical architecture, embodying both spiritual reverence and architectural mastery.

At the heart of the temple lies the sacred tomb of Saint Gayane herself. Within the niches of the temple’s portico, visitors can still admire frescoes depicting various saints, offering a vivid glimpse into the religious artistry of the era.

Coordinates: 40.1575, 44.29184