St. Hripsime Church, Vagharshapat, Armenia

St. Hripsime church of Vagharshapat is one of the brightest examples of Armenian Early Medieval architecture and a jewel of intricate design. It was built in 618 by Komitas Akhtsetsi Catholicos atop the general IV century mausoleum containing the remains of martyred St. Hripsime. Later, in 1776, the church was surrounded by brick walls, in 1880 a belfry was built above the dome and finally in 1894 were built eastern and southern walls from smooth face stones, with many other buildings nearby. The building was built using a square plan instead of a rectangular one, with central dome and inner cruciform plan. Church has many earthquake resisting devices including the deep triangular niches on the outside walls, ribbed , thinner and lighter dome with low center of gravity and four square towers and the four little turrets, at the corners of the dome, which restrain lateral thrust that is created by earthquake waves. The turrets act as anchors as well as buttresses. The interior design of St. Hripsime is an unusual, complex central-plan church considered by architectural historians to be specifically Armenian in origin, in addition to the large four apses on each side there are four narrow cylindrical, diagonal niches lead to four square chambers in the corners of the church. This innovative plan created by Armenian architects is used with variations in other seventh century Armenian churches and echoed in later churches, such as the masterpiece of Aghtamar island of lake Van - Surb Khach church. St. Hripsime church was placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2000.

As described by the fifth century Armenian historian Agathangelos, the abbess Gayane led the Christian maiden Hrip'sime and other nuns from Rome to Vagharshapat to escape the persecution of Diocletian. The pagan Armenian king Trdat, after receiving Diocletian's letter describing her beauty, discovers her hiding place, and falls in love with her. But Hripsime refuses king's love and was martyred by Trdat along with abbess Gayane and other nuns. The present church with Hripsime grave was erected at the site where she was martyred and St. Gregory Illuminator erected memorial structures for Her.