This silver collector coin has been issued by the Central bank of Armenia under the international numismatic program “Armenian Monasteries and Churches” and is dedicated to the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin is a spiritual and administrative center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the place of sacred pilgrimage of the Armenians all over the world and the Holy See of Catholicos of All Armenians. The Mother Cathedral, the main building of the Armenian Apostolic Church, is housed there. It was built in 301-303 with the assistance of King Trdat III and Gregory the Illuminator at the place where, according to Gregory the Illuminator’s description, the only begotten Son of God descended (“Etchmiadzin” means “the descent of the only begotten” in Armenian). A three-tier bell-tower was built as an attachment to the west side of the Mother Cathedral in the 17th century. In the 18th century a museum was added as part of the building, where lots of works of the Armenian ecclesiastical art were kept. The Mother Cathedral’s inside walls are decorated with frescos authored by Naghash Hovnatan and, later, by Hovnatan Hovnatanyan. The coin issued with colored inks.

Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin (Armenian: Մայր Տաճար Սուրբ Էջմիածին Mayr Tajar Surb Ejmiatsin; originally known as the Holy Mother of God Church, Armenian: Սուրբ Աստուածածին Եկեղեցի Surb Astvatsatsin Yekeghetsi) is a 4th century Armenian church in the town of Ejmiatsin, Armenia. It is also the central cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Etchmiadzin Cathedral is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Rectangle 27 x 24 mm