Germany's University of Münster announced Friday that its team of archaeologists has discovered one of the world's oldest Christian churches in Armenia's Ararat Plain.
The history of this church dates back to the 4th century. discovered After six years of excavation at the Artaxata excavation site. The structure is approximately 100 feet in diameter and has floors covered with mortar and terra cotta tiles. The remains of the wooden platform at the site were carbon dated to determine its age.
“What was discovered consisted of an octagonal building with a cross-shaped extension. The team excavated part of the church and studied it using geophysical methods.”Münster the university said.
Archaeologists from the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia also involved Difficult excavation work in progress. Dr. Mukrich H. Zardarian of the Armenian Academy said the octagonal church shape favored in the Eastern Mediterranean was previously “unknown” to Armenia. The terracotta floors also suggest a strong Mediterranean influence and may be the work of Greek or Italian artisans.
Armenia is considered It was the first Christian nation in the world to declare Christianity as the state religion in 301 AD.A Christian community existed in Armenia from around 40 AD.Most modern Armenians are descendants of the 1st century Apostle Thaddeus. Belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church, founded on the teachings of Bartholomew.
Artaxata was once large city and the capital of ancient Armenia. According to local tradition, it was founded around 176 BC on land selected by the legendary Carthaginian general Hannibal. In fact, Armenia had two capitals before that, but Artaxata proved the most defensible of the country's ancient cities and occupied the best location for trade.
The Romans managed to capture Artaxata in 58 AD and leveled the site, but Emperor Nero ordered its rebuilding ten years later. The ruined city was destroyed three more times, rising from the ashes each time until its final destruction in 450 AD ended its role as Armenia's capital.
Some historians believe that Artaxata ended for good when the nearby Araxes River changed course as its value as a trading post declined. At the height of its importance, Artaxata was an impressive metropolis with a large population of Greeks, Jews, and Syrians in addition to Armenians.
The Armenian nobility was mostly pagan until St. Gregory the Enlightener. came early 3rd century and converted lead them to Christianity. This was not an easy task, since Gregory's stubborn faith and refusal to participate in pagan rituals led to him being tortured and thrown into a very deep pit filled with the corpses of Artaxata.
According to legend, Gregory was trapped in a hole for 15 years, surviving on a gift of bread from a Christian widow guided by a vision. Emerging from the hole, Gregory displayed the patience for which saints were known by performing an exorcism on the Mad King who had tormented him. The king then regained his senses and was no longer insane enough to throw people into a pit full of corpses for at least 15 years, and the king's court accepted Gregory's faith.
Artaxata's importance in Armenian Christian history made the excavation of this church an exciting moment for archaeologists, historians, and churchgoers alike.
archaeologist believe The Church of Artaxata was built around the same time as the famous church. Etchmiadzin CathedralHeadquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church near the modern capital, Yerevan. In fact, Artaxata Church is classified as the oldest church in Armenia to date and may be slightly older than Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which may be the oldest cathedral in the world.
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“This building dates back to the 4th century and is the oldest archaeologically recorded church in the country, providing sensational evidence of early Christianity in Armenia,” Professor Achim Lichtenberger of the University of Münster said of the discovery. said.
