View source for Vagharshapat

{{redirect-multi|3|Etchmiadzin|Echmiadzin|Ejmiatsin||Etchmiadzin (disambiguation)}}
{{coord|40|10|22|N|44|17|33|E|display=title}}
{{Infobox settlement
| settlement_type                 = City
| official_name                   = Vagharshapat
| native_name                     = {{lang|hy|Վաղարշապատ}}
| image_skyline                   = {{multiple image
| border                   = infobox
| total_width              = 290
| image_style              = border:1;
| perrow                   = 1/2/2/1
| image1                   = Էջմիածնի Մայր Տաճար.jpg
| caption1                 = [[Echmiadzin Cathedral]]
| image2                   = Armenia. Vagharshapat. Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin P8200172 2350.jpg
| caption2                 = [[Gevorgian Seminary]]
| image3                   = Jerevan - Armenië (2892629248).jpg
| caption3                 = [[Saint Hripsime Church|St. Hripsime]]
| image4                   = St. Gayane Church.jpg
| caption4                 = [[Saint Gayane Church|St. Gayane]]
| image5                   = Shoghakat Church 03.jpg
| caption5                 = [[Shoghakat Church|Shoghakat]]
| image6                   = IMG -Zvatnots.jpg
| caption6                 = [[Zvartnots Cathedral]] and [[Mount Ararat]]
}}
| image_flag                      = File:Flag of Ejmiatsin.svg
| image_seal                      = File:Coat of arms of Ejmiatsin.svg
| pushpin_map                     = Armenia
| mapsize                         = 150px
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = {{ARM}}
| subdivision_type1               = [[Administrative divisions of Armenia|Marz (Province)]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Armavir Province|Armavir]]
| leader_title                    = Mayor
| leader_name                     = Diana Gasparyan
| established_title               = Founded
| established_date                = 685 BC
| area_total_km2                  = 40
| population_as_of                = 2022 census
| population_total                = 44,837<ref name="2022 Census">{{cite web|url=https://www.armstat.am/en/?nid=82&id=2623|title=The Main Results of RA Census 2022, trilingual / Statistical Committee of Armenia|website=www.armstat.am|access-date=2024-11-07}}</ref>
| population_density_km2          = auto
| timezone                        = [[Armenia Time|AMT]]
| utc_offset                      = +4
| coordinates                     = {{coord|40|10|22|N|44|17|33|E|region:AM|display=inline}}
| elevation_m                     = 853
| area_code                       = 0231
| website                         = [https://ejmiatsin.am ejmiatsin.am]
| footnotes                       = Sources: Population<ref>{{cite web|url=https://armstat.am/file/doc/99486683.pdf |title=Armstats:Population|access-date=31 January 2013}}</ref>
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| child         = yes
| official_name = Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots
| includes      = {{flatlist|
*[[Echmiadzin Cathedral|Mother Cathedral of Echmiatsin]] and surrounding constructions
*[[Saint Gayane Church|Church Saint Gayaneh]] and surrounding buildings
*Cemetery of Congregation
*[[Saint Hripsime Church|Saint Hripsimeh Church]]
*[[Shoghakat Church|St. Shoghakat Church]]
*Archaeological site of [[Zvartnots, Armenia|Zvartnots]] with [[Zvartnots Cathedral|ruins of the Temple]], the Royal Palace, and other constructions
}}
| criteria      = {{UNESCO WHS type|(ii)(iii)}}(ii)(iii)
| ID            = 1011
| year          = 2000
| area          = {{convert|74.3|ha|acre|abbr=on}}
}}
}}
'''Vagharshapat''' ({{langx|hy|Վաղարշապատ}} {{IPA|hy|vɑʁɑɾʃɑˈpɑt|pron}}) is the [[List of cities and towns in Armenia|5th-largest city]] in [[Armenia]] and the most populous municipal community of [[Armavir Province]], located about {{convert|18|km|0|abbr=on}} west of the capital [[Yerevan]], and {{convert|10|km|0|abbr=on}} north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is commonly known as '''Ejmiatsin''' (also spelled '''Echmiadzin''' or '''Etchmiadzin''', {{lang|hy|Էջմիածին}}, {{IPA|hy|ɛt͡ʃʰmjɑˈt͡sin|pron|Audio Etchmiadzin.ogg}}), which was its official name between 1945 and 1995.<ref>{{cite web|title=Պատմաաշխարհագրական ակնարկ [Historical-geographic overview]|url=http://armavir.gov.am/aknark/|publisher=Armavir Province: Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration|language=hy|quote=...Վաղարշապատ (1945-1995թթ. կոչվել է Էջմիածին) քաղաքը...|access-date=15 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228073354/http://armavir.gov.am/aknark/|archive-date=28 February 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It is still commonly used colloquially and in official bureaucracy, a case of [[dual naming]].<ref>{{cite news|script-title=hy:Էջմիածի՞ն, թե՞ Վաղարշապատ|url=http://www.aravot.am/2010/10/26/344193/|work=[[Aravot]]|date=26 October 2010|language=hy}}</ref>

The city is best known as the location of [[Etchmiadzin Cathedral]] and [[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]], the center of the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]]. It is thus unofficially known in Western sources as a "[[holy city]]"<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Ring|editor1-first=Trudy|editor2-last=Watson|editor2-first=Noelle|editor3-last=Schellinger|editor3-first=Paul|title=International Dictionary of Historic Places: Middle East and Africa, Volume 4|date=1994|publisher=Taylor & Francis|page=250|quote=The holy city of Echmiadzin, where the Christian church in Armenia first began...}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Stransky|first1=Thomas F.|last2=Sheerin|first2=John B.|title=Doing the Truth in Charity: Statements of Pope Paul VI, Popes John Paul I, John Paul II, and the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, 1964-1980|date=1982|publisher=Paulist Press|page=230|quote=...from the holy city of Etchmiadzin...}}</ref> and in Armenia as the country's "spiritual capital".<ref>{{cite news|script-title=hy:Համայն հայոց հոգևոր մայրաքաղաքը 2700 տարեկան է, նշվեց Էջմիածնի տոնը (ֆոտոշարք)|url=http://www.armradio.am/hy/2015/10/08/%D5%B0%D5%A1%D5%B4%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%B6-%D5%B0%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%81-%D5%B0%D5%B8%D5%A3%D6%87%D5%B8%D6%80-%D5%B4%D5%A1%D5%B5%D6%80%D5%A1%D6%84%D5%A1%D5%B2%D5%A1%D6%84%D5%A8-2700-%D5%BF%D5%A1%D6%80/|agency=[[Public Radio of Armenia]]|date=8 October 2015|language=hy}}</ref> It was one of the major cities and a [[historic capitals of Armenia|capital]] of [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|the ancient Kingdom of Greater Armenia]].<ref>[[James R. Russell]]. Zoroastrianism in Armenia. — Harvard University Press, 1987. — P. 118.</ref> Reduced to a small town by the early 20th century, it experienced large expansion during the Soviet period becoming, effectively, a suburb of Yerevan.<ref name="Emin">{{cite book|last=Emin|first=Gevorg|author-link=Gevorg Emin|title=Seven songs about Armenia|date=1981|publisher=Progress|page=106|quote=...Ashtarak, Artashat, Etchmiadzin and Abovian because they have become suburbs of Yerevan.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bloomfield|first=Paul|title=Armenia: mountains, monasteries and a glimpse of the land of Noah|url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/armenia-mountains-monasteries-and-a-glimpse-of-the-land-of-noah-dscmq2k6fmd|work=[[The Times]]|date=16 May 2015|quote=Our first port of call was Ejmiatsin, a suburb of Yerevan and seat of the Katholikos, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church.}}</ref> Its population stands just over 37,000 based on 2016 estimates.

==Etymology==
According to [[Movses Khorenatsi]], the area of Vagharshapat was known as ''Artimed'' (Արտիմէդ), derived from the [[Greek mythology|ancient Greek]] deity [[Artemis]]. Later, it was renamed ''Avan Vardgesi'' ({{lang|hy|Աւան Վարդգէսի}}, "Town of Vardges") or ''Vardgesavan'' ({{lang|hy|Վարդգէսաւան}}) by Prince Vardges Manouk who rebuilt the settlement near the shores of [[Kasagh River]], during the reign of King [[Orontes I Sakavakyats]] of Armenia (570–560 BC). However, in his first book, ''Wars of Justinian'', the Byzantine historian [[Procopius]] refers to the city as ''Valashabad'' (Balashabad), named after king [[Vologases I of Armenia]]. The name evolved into its later form by the shift of the medial ''l'' into a ''gh'', which is common in the Armenian language. [[Movses Khorenatsi]] mentioned that the town of Vardges was entirely rebuilt and fenced by King Vagharsh I to become known as ''Norakaghak'' ({{lang|hy|Նորաքաղաք}}, "New City") and later ''Vagharshapat''.

''Ejmiatsin'' (''Etchmiadzin'', ''Ēĵmiacin'') literally means "the descent of the Only-Begotten" or "the Only-Begotten descended" (from {{transliteration|hy|echichnel}} “the descent” and {{transliteration|hy|miatsin}} “the Only-Begotten”),<ref>{{cite book |last=Grigoryan |first=Rachik |title=Echmiadzin |date=1969 |publisher=Novosti Press Agency Publishing House |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w5UwAAAAMAAJ |quote=Echmiadzin is the Armenian for "the descent (''echichnel'') of the only begotten (''miatsin'')"}}</ref> referring to how [[Gregory the Illuminator|St. Gregory]] had a vision of Jesus (the Only-Begotten Son of God) descending to the place and marking it as where Gregory should erect churches.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Life and Times of S. Gregory the Illuminator |date=1868 |publisher=Rivingtons |page=303 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=id47AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA303}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Nicholson |first1=Oliver |title=The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity |date=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-256246-3 |page=519 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A09WDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA519}}</ref>

==History==
===Early history===
The territory of ancient Vagharshapat was inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC. Many sites, such as [[Metsamor Castle]], Shresh hill and Mokhrablur hill date back to the [[Neolithic]] period. The first written records about Vagharshapat were found in the inscriptions left by the [[Urartu|Urartian]] king [[Rusa II]] (685–645 BC), where it was mentioned as ''Kuarlini'' (Կուարլինի). The inscription found in the archaeological site of ancient Vagharshapat cites to a water canal opened by king Rusa II, between Ildaruni river ([[Hrazdan River]]) and the valley of Kuarlini.

According to 5th-century writer [[Movses Khorenatsi]], the oldest name of Vagharshapat was ''Artimed'' (Արտիմէդ), derived from the [[Greek mythology|ancient Greek]] deity [[Artemis]]. Later, it was renamed ''Avan Vardgesi'' (Աւան Վարդգէսի, "Town of Vardges") or ''Vardgesavan'' (Վարդգէսաւան) after being rebuilt by prince ''Vardges Manouk'' near the shores of [[Kasagh River]], during the reign of king [[Orontes I Sakavakyats]] of Armenia (570–560 BC).

In the first half of the 2nd century AD, under the reign of the Armenian [[Arsacid dynasty of Armenia|Arsacid]] king [[Vologases I of Armenia|Vagharsh I]] of Armenia (117–144), the old town of Vardgesavan was renovated and renamed ''Vagharshapat'' (Վաղարշապատ). In his first book ''Wars of Justinian'', the Byzantine historian [[Procopius]] has cited to the city as ''Valashabad'' (Balashabad), named after king ''Valash'' (Balash) of Armenia. The name evolved into its later form by the shift in the medial ''L'' into a ''Gh'', which is common in the Armenian language. [[Movses Khorenatsi]] mentioned that the Town of Vardges was entirely rebuilt and fenced by king Vagharsh I to become known as ''Norakaghak'' (Նորաքաղաք, "New City") and later Vagharshapat.
[[File:Zvartnots3.jpg|thumb|The remains of the 7th-century [[Zvartnots Cathedral|Cathedral of Zvartnots]]]]
Vagharshapat has served as the capital of the Arsacid [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Kingdom of Armenia]] between 120 AD and 330 AD. After embracing Christianity as a state religion in Armenia in 301, Vagharshapat was gradually called ''Ejmiatsin'' ({{langx|hy|Էջմիածին}}), after the name of the [[Etchmiadzin Cathedral|Mother Cathedral]]; the seat of the Armenian Catholicosate, which is considered one of the oldest religious organizations in the world. As a spiritual centre of the entire Armenian nation, Vagharshapat has grown up rapidly and developed as an important centre of education and culture. The city was home to one of the oldest educational institutions in Armenia founded by [[Mesrop Mashtots]].

The political capital of the Armenian kingdom was transferred to the city of [[Dvin (ancient city)|Dvin]] in 336.

===Middle Ages===
[[File:Grigory Gagarin. Escarmouche de Persans et de Kurdes.jpg|thumb|Kurds and Persians attacking Vagharshapat]]
Vagharshapat maintained its status as the country's most important city until the fall of the Arsacid Kingdom in 428. The city gradually lost its importance under the Persian rule, specifically when the seat of the Catholicosate was transferred to [[Dvin (ancient city)|Dvin]] in 452. However, the first manuscript library in Armenia was founded in 480 in Vagharshapat.

The Armenian Church rejected the [[Council of Chalcedon]] (451) because they believed the Chalcedonian [[christology]] was too similar to [[Nestorianism]]; however, some Armenian bishops who were present in the territories of [[Roman Armenia]] signed the Council's documents and also accepted [[Pope Leo I]]'s 458 [[encyclical]] mandating adherence to the [[Chalcedonian Definition]]. In [[Persarmenia]], the [[Church of the East|Persian Nestorian Church]] supported the spread of Nestorianism, which the Armenian Church had previously declared heretical and saw as a threat to the independence of their Church. [[Peter the Iberian]], a [[Georgian people|Georgian]] prince, also strongly opposed the Chalcedonian Creed.<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Wydawnictwo UJ| isbn = 978-83-233-9555-3| last = Stopka| first = Krzysztof| title = Armenia Christiana: Armenian Religious Identity and the Churches of Constantinople and Rome (4th–15th Century)| date = 16 December 2016 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eeq-DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA64|pages=62–}}</ref> Thus, in 491, Catholicos [[Babken I of Armenia]], along with the [[Caucasian Albania|Albanian]] and [[Kingdom of Iberia (antiquity)|Iberian]] bishops met in Vagharshapat and issued a condemnation of the Chalcedonian Definition.<ref>''Zvartnots and the Origins of Christian Architecture in Armenia'', W. Eugene Kleinbauer, ''The Art Bulletin'', Vol. 54, No. 3 (September 1972): 261.</ref>

In 587 during the reign of [[Maurice (emperor)|emperor Maurice]], Vagharshapat (then called '''Valarshapat''') and much of Armenia came under Roman administration after the Romans defeated the [[Sassanid Empire|Sassanid Persian Empire]] at the [[battle of the Blarathon]].

In 658 AD, Vagharshapat, along with the rest of the Armenian highland, was conquered by the Arabs. The city was briefly revived between the 9th and 11th centuries under the [[Bagratuni Dynasty|Bagratid]] [[Kingdom of Armenia (Middle Ages)|Kingdom of Armenia]], before being overrun by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] in 1045 and later by the [[Seljuk Empire|Seljuks]] in 1064.

In the middle of the 13th century, Vagharshapat became part of the [[Ilkhanate]] of the [[Mongol Empire]]. During the last quarter of the 14th century the [[Aq Qoyunlu]] Sunni [[Oghuz Turks|Oghuz Turkic]] tribe took over Armenia, including Vagharshapat.

[[File:06 Chardin Ecs-miazin nommée communément les trois eglises.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Engraving of Etchmiadzin by [[Jean Chardin]], 1670s]]
[[File:Mikhail Ivanov — View of three churches against the backdrop of Mount Ararat in Armenia.jpg|thumb|''View of Etchmiadzin'' by Russian painter Mikhail Ivanov, 1783]]

The influence of Vagharshapat waned between 1045 and 1441, when the seat of the Armenian Catholicosate was transferred from the [[Cilicia]]n city of [[Sis (ancient city)|Sis]] back to [[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin|Etchmiadzin]].

===Early modern period===
Between 1502 and 1828, Armenia became part of the Persian state under the rule of [[Safavid dynasty|Safavid]], [[Afsharid dynasty|Afsharid]] and [[Qajar dynasty|Qajar]] dynasties, with short periods of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] rule between 1578 and 1603 and later between 1722 and 1736.

In 1828, after the [[Russo-Persian War (1826–1828)|Russo-Persian War]], Vagharshapat —as a part of the [[Erivan Khanate]]— was handed over to the [[Russian Empire]] as a result of the [[Treaty of Turkmenchay]] signed on 21 February 1828.

In their 1833 book [[Eli Smith]] and [[Harrison Gray Otis Dwight|H. G. O. Dwight]] described Vagharshapat, then a village, as follows: "It presents nothing but a crowded collection of mud cabins, perhaps 500 in number."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Eli|last2=Dwight|first2=H. G. O.|author-link1=Eli Smith|author-link2=Harrison Gray Otis Dwight|title=Researches of the Rev. E. Smith and Rev. H.G.O. Dwight in Armenia: Including a Journey Through Asia Minor, and into Georgia and Persia, with a Visit to the Nestorian and Chaldean Christians of Oormiah and Salmas, Volume 2|date=1833|publisher=Crocker and Brewster|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=M0tVcWnUDWMC&pg=PA92&dq=Hripsime 93]}}</ref>

With the establishment of the [[Erivan Governorate]] in 1850, Vagharshapat became the centre of the newly formed [[Echmiadzinsky Uyezd]].

===Present day===
[[File:Raffi kojian-172315997.jpg|thumb|Vagharshapat with Ejmiatsin Cathedral Compound from the air]]
Armenia enjoyed a short period of independence between 1918 and 1920 before falling to the [[Bolshevik]] [[11th Red Army]] and becoming part of the [[Soviet Union]].
In 1925, the new plan of rebuilding the modern town was introduced by architect [[Alexander Tamanian]]. It was finally completed between 1939 and 1943. In 1945, the town of Vagharshapat was officially renamed ''Etchmiadzin'' by the Soviet government.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the town has witnessed a massive wave of construction, including residential buildings and industrial plants. By the end of the 1960s, the historical monuments of the town; including the religious complex of the [[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]], [[Saint Hripsime Church]], [[Saint Gayane Church]] and the surrounding area of [[Zvartnots Cathedral]], were entirely rehabilitated.<ref>[https://ejmiatsin.am/our-city/30/ Historical review]</ref>

After the independence of Armenia, the town was officially renamed Vagharshapat in 1995. However, the town is still popularly known as Ejmiatsin.

In October 2018, Diana Gasparyan, who was nominated by the [[Civil Contract Party]], was elected mayor of the city and the country's first ever female mayor.<ref>[https://news.am/eng/news/477034.html Armenia elects first female mayor]</ref>

[[File:Veharan-880x660.jpg|thumb|Veharan]]

==Geography and climate==
[[File:Map of Etchmiadzin.gif|thumb|Map of modern-day Vagharshapat]]
Vagharshapat is the largest satellite-city of Yerevan and the 4th largest in Armenia by population. It is located to the west of Yerevan in the basin of the [[Kasagh River]], in the northeastern extremity of [[Ararat plain]], and very close to [[Zvartnots International Airport]].

According to Moses of Chorene's ''History of Armenia'' and as a result of several archaeological researches conducted in the area, the most probable location of the ancient city of Vagharshapat is the area of ''Shresh Hill'' near Kasagh River.<ref>[http://www.ejmiatsin.am/en/1/97/freeCode.html Ejmiatsin: History]{{dead link|date=January 2013}}</ref>

''Shresh Hill'' or the ''Kond of Ghugo'', as it was called by the local population, is only {{convert|500|m|ft|abbr=off}} away to the northeast of modern-day Vagharshapat, on the way to [[Oshakan]]. It is an artificial hill and has a diameter of {{convert|123|m|ft|abbr=off}} long. It was first excavated in 1870. In 1913 and 1928, the area was excavated by archaeologist [[Yervand Lalayan]]. Large-scale excavations were conducted around the hill and the nearby sites of Metsamor and Mokhrablur between 1945 and 1950.

Historically, Vagharshapat is at the heart of the [[Armenian Highland]], in Aragatsotn canton (Armenian: Արագածոտն գաւառ ''Aragatsotn gavar'', not to be confused with the current [[Aragatsotn Province]]) of [[Ayrarat]] province, within [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Armenia Major]].

The city has an average elevation of {{convert|853|m|0|abbr=off}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]]. The climate is [[Cold semi-arid climate|cold semi-arid]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BSk'').

{{Weather box 
| width = auto
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| location = Vagharshapat

| Jan high C  =1.6
| Feb high C  =4.4
| Mar high C  =11.6
| Apr high C  =19.0
| May high C  =24.4
| Jun high C  =28.8
| Jul high C  =33.1
| Aug high C  =32.5
| Sep high C  =28.4
| Oct high C  =20.5
| Nov high C  =12.4
| Dec high C  =4.9

| Jan mean C  =-2.9
| Feb mean C  =-0.5
| Mar mean C  =5.9
| Apr mean C  =12.5
| May mean C  =17.4
| Jun mean C  =21.4
| Jul mean C  =25.4
| Aug mean C  =25.0
| Sep mean C  =20.4
| Oct mean C  =13.5
| Nov mean C  =6.8
| Dec mean C  =0.6

| Jan low C  =-7.3
| Feb low C  =-5.3
| Mar low C  =0.2
| Apr low C  =6.1
| May low C  =10.5
| Jun low C  =14.1
| Jul low C  =17.8
| Aug low C  =17.5
| Sep low C  =12.4
| Oct low C  =6.5
| Nov low C  =1.2
| Dec low C  =-3.6

| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm  =20
| Feb precipitation mm  =22
| Mar precipitation mm  =27
| Apr precipitation mm  =36
| May precipitation mm  =51
| Jun precipitation mm  =29
| Jul precipitation mm  =16
| Aug precipitation mm  =12
| Sep precipitation mm  =14
| Oct precipitation mm  =29
| Nov precipitation mm  =25
| Dec precipitation mm  =20

| source = Climate-Data.org <ref name="Climate-Data.org">{{cite web
|url = https://en.climate-data.org/location/15442/
|title = Climate: Vagharshapat
|publisher = Climate-Data.org
|access-date = 14 August 2018}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
Vagharshapat is the largest urban community of Armavir Province. However, the population of the town has gradually declined since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The majority of the town's population are ethnic Armenians who belong to the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]]. The regulating body of the church is the [[Diocese of Armavir]] based in the nearby town of Armavir. Between 1996 and 2014, the [[Holy Mother of God Church, Vagharshapat|Holy Mother of God Church]] of Vagharshapat has served as the seat of the diocese. Opened in 1767 by Catholicos [[Simeon I of Armenia|Simeon I]], the church is located at the centre of Vagharshapat, north of the [[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://armaviritem.am/?p=134|title=Էջմիածնի Սուրբ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի|website=armaviritem.am}}</ref>

Here is a population timeline of Vagharshapat since 1830:<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=http://www.cadastre.am/storage/files/pages/pg_907871769_HH_bnak._bar..pdf |title=Հայաստանի Հանրապետության բնակավայրերի բառարան |publisher=Cadastre Committee of the Republic of Armenia |year=2008 |location=Yerevan |pages=186 |language=Armenian |trans-title=Republic of Armenia settlements dictionary |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311232523/http://www.cadastre.am/storage/files/pages/pg_907871769_HH_bnak._bar..pdf |archive-date=11 March 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Population
! Note(s)
|-
| 1830<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hakobyan|first1=Tatul|author-link1=Tatul Hakobyan|script-title=hy:Հայկական մարզի (1828-1840թթ.) 1000-ից ավելի բնակիչ ունեցող 10 բնակավայրերը|url=http://www.aniarc.am/2015/12/10/1830-population-1000-and-more-inhabitants/|website=ANI Armenian Research Center|publisher=ANI Foundation for Armenian Studies|language=hy|date=10 December 2015|access-date=10 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211052922/http://www.aniarc.am/2015/12/10/1830-population-1000-and-more-inhabitants/|archive-date=11 December 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
| rowspan="2" | 2,175
| the fourth largest in the [[Armenian Oblast]]
|-
|1831
|100% Armenian<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hakobyan |first=Tatul |date=12 March 2022 |title=Արմավիրի շրջանի գյուղերը 1831 թվականին |trans-title=Armavir region villages in 1831 |url=http://www.aniarc.am/2022/03/12/armavir-1831-1931-population-korkotian/ |access-date=16 September 2022 |website=ANI Armenian Research Center}}</ref>
|-
|1873
|2,787
|
|-
| c. 1891<ref>{{cite book|title=[[Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary|Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary Volume V]]|contribution=[[:ru:s:ЭСБЕ/Вагаршапат|Вагаршапат]]|date=1891|page=336|language=ru}}</ref>
| 3,000
| overwhelmingly populated by Armenians
|-
| [[Russian Empire Census|1897]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/emp_lan_97_uezd.php?reg=589|title=Демоскоп Weekly - Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей.|website=demoscope.ru}}</ref>
| 5,267
| 94.8% Armenians 
|-
|1908<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.prlib.ru/item/417314 |title=Кавказский календарь на 1910 год |publisher=Tipografiya kantselyarii Ye.I.V. na Kavkaze, kazenny dom |year=1910 |edition=65th |publication-place=Tiflis |pages=210 |language=Russian |trans-title=Caucasian calendar for 1910 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315211448/https://www.prlib.ru/item/417314 |archive-date=15 March 2022}}</ref>
|3,283
|Mostly Armenian
|-
| 1914
| 5,755
|
|-
|1919
|16,886
|
|-
| [[First All-Union Census of the Soviet Union|1926]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru/echmiadzin26.html|title=Эчмиадзинский уезд 1926|website=ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru}}</ref>
| 8,436
| 99.1% Armenians
|-
|1931
|8,349
|
|-
| 1959<ref name="cadastre">{{cite web |date=2008 |title=Հայաստանի Հանրապետության բնակավայրերի բառարան |url=http://www.cadastre.am/storage/files/pages/pg_8945925618_pg_907871769_HH_bnak._bar..pdf |publisher=Armenian State Cadaste |page=186 |access-date=10 December 2015 |archive-date=23 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923195722/http://www.cadastre.am/storage/files/pages/pg_8945925618_pg_907871769_HH_bnak._bar..pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| 19,560
|
|-
| 1968<ref name="cadastre"/>
| 27,100
|
|-
| 1976
| 42,000<ref>{{cite book |title=[[Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia]] Volume 5 |date=1978 |page=[https://hy.wikisource.org/wiki/%D4%B7%D5%BB:%D5%80%D5%A1%D5%B5%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%B6_%D5%8D%D5%B8%D5%BE%D5%A5%D5%BF%D5%A1%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%B6_%D5%80%D5%A1%D5%B6%D6%80%D5%A1%D5%A3%D5%AB%D5%BF%D5%A1%D6%80%D5%A1%D5%B6_(Soviet_Armenian_Encyclopedia)_4.djvu/64 64] |language=hy |contribution=Էջմիածին [Ejmiatsin]}}</ref>–44,040
| 
|-
| 1990<ref name="cadastre"/>
| 60,000
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2001<ref name="armstat">{{cite web|url=http://armstat.am/file/doc/130.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - 57 PAGE.doc  |access-date=30 April 2018}}</ref>
| 51,280	
| ''de facto'' population
|-
|56,388
|''de jure'' population
|-
|2004
|56,400
|
|-
| 2011<ref name="armstat"/>
| 46,540	
| ''de facto'' population
|-
| 2022<ref name="2022 Census"/>
| 44,837	
|
|}

==Landmarks==
The Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin is found in the complex surrounded with many other structures built throughout the centuries. Most buildings are of great architectural significance, such as the old and new Pontifical Residences, the Chancellery or the ''Divanatoon'', the Gate of King [[Tiridates III of Armenia|Trdat]], Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury Museum (1982), Khrimian Museum, Yeremian Monastic cells, the old Seminary building, the Clock Tower, the Bookstore, etc.

[[Gevorgian Seminary]] is a theological college of the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]] founded by Catholicos [[George IV of Armenia|Gevork IV]] in 1874 within the complex of the Mother See. Apart from the Mother Cathedral, Vagharshapat is home to many other important Armenian churches and cathedrals. The Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, the Churches of Saint Hripsimé, Saint Gayane and Saint Shoghakat, and the archaeological site of Zvartnots are listed among the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]]s.

===UNESCO World Heritage Site===
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| WHS      = Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots
| Criteria = Cultural: ii, iii
| ID       = 1011
| Year     = 2000
| Area        = 74.3 ha
}}
[[File:Mayr Ator 1.tif|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Etchmiadzin Cathedral]]]]

In 2000, the churches of Vagharshapat, together with the nearby ruin of [[Zvartnots Cathedral]], were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Principal churches include:
*[[Etchmiadzin Cathedral]] ({{langx|hy|Մայր Տաճար Սուրբ Էջմիածին}} ''Mayr Tachar Surp Ejmiatsin'') – The "Mother Cathedral" was built by [[Gregory the Illuminator]] as a vaulted [[basilica]] in 301–303, when Armenia had just adopted Christianity as a state religion,<ref name="edwards">{{cite book|last1=Edwards|first1=Robert W., "Ēĵmiacin" |title=The Eerdmans Encyclopedia of Early Christian Art and Archaeology, ed., Paul Corby Finney |date=2016 |publisher=William B. Eerdmans Publishing| location=Grand Rapids, Michigan |isbn=978-0-8028-9016-0| pages=455–456}}</ref> making it one of the oldest churches in the world.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Echmiadzin | volume= 8 |last1= Kropotkin |first1= Peter Alexeivitch |author1-link= Peter Kropotkin| last2= Bealby |first2= John Thomas| pages = 883&ndash;884 |short= 1}}</ref> The church was repeatedly enlarged, notably in 480, 618 and 1658.
*[[Saint Hripsime Church]] – The church was erected in 618 by Catholicos [[Komitas Aghtsetsi|Gomidas]] atop an existing mausoleum containing the remains of the martyred Saint [[Hripsime|Hripsimé]]. According to the 17th century Armenian historian [[Arakel of Tabriz]], when the church was renovated during 1651–1653 by Catholicos [[Philip I of Armenia|Philip I]], a cross was placed on top of the roof and a small portico was added to the western side. It is one of the few churches in Armenian that remained active during the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] period.
*[[Saint Gayane Church]] – Built in 630 by Catholicos [[Ezra I of Armenia|Ezra I]], Saint Gayane is a three-[[nave]], domed [[basilica]] with an octagonal [[tholobate|drum]] resting on four internal pillars that divide the interior of the church into three. Its design remained unchanged despite partial renovations of the dome and some ceilings in 1652.
*[[Shoghakat Church]] – Meaning ''drop of light'', Shoghakat is a single-nave domed basilica, built and completed in 1694 by prince Aghamal Sorotetsi during the period of Catholicos [[Nahabed I of Armenia|Nahabed I]]. It is built with red and black [[tufa]] stones, erected on the remains of a 6th-century basilica. The remains of a 4th-century small chapel could be seen at the southwestern end of Saint Shoghakat Church.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yeghishe.am/en/gallery/23/|title=Yeghishe.am: Shoghakat|access-date=22 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706073902/http://www.yeghishe.am/en/gallery/23/|archive-date=6 July 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed-hover">
File:Ejmiadzin Cathedral.jpg|Etchmiadzin Cathedral, opened in 303
File:S. Hripsime.JPG|Saint Hripsimé Church, opened in 618
File:Gayane6.jpg|Saint Gayane Church, opened in 630
File:Shoghakat.jpg|Shoghakat Church, opened in 1694
File:Zvartnots cathedral ruins.jpg|Zvartnots Cathedral, opened in 652
</gallery>

==Culture==
[[File:Մշակույթի տուն, Վաղարշապատ (1).jpg|thumb|Komitas palace of culture in Vagharshapat]]

[[File:Things-to-do-in-Etchmiadzin-Armenia-Vagharshapat-1.jpg|thumb|Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Manuscript Library]]

Vagharshapat is the cultural center of Armavir and one of the important centers of the entire republic. The Komitas Palace of Culture is operating in the town since 1957, while the Ejmiatsin National Gallery is operating since 1970.

The town is also home to a number of museums including the Vagharshapat Ethnographic Museum, Khoren Ter-Harutyunyan Museum and Gallery, Mher Abeghian Museum and Gallery, and Hovhannes Hovhannisyan House-museum. However, the most prominent museums of Vagharshapat are located within the Mother See complex, including:
*Etchmiadzin Cathedral Museum opened in 1869 by Catholicos [[George IV of Armenia|George IV]],
*The Catholicosal Museum within the old pontifical residence or ''Hin Veharan'' built in 1738–1741 and serves as Catholicosal Museum since 1968.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4130&pid=971 |title=Old pontifical residence |access-date=6 February 2016 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225211843/https://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4130&pid=971 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*Khrimian Museum: built and opened in 1896 by Catholicos [[Mkrtich Khrimian|Mkrtich I of Van]]. It was recently renovated to become a museum of art.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4132&pid=971 |title=Khrimian Museum |access-date=6 February 2016 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225211845/https://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4132&pid=971 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury House: opened on 11 October 1982, designed by architect [[Baghdasar Arzoumanian]]. The museum is home to treasures of the Armenian Church throughout history.
*Ruben Sevak Museum: opened in 2013 within the Ghazarapat building of the Mother See.

The Mother See is also home to the Pontifical Bookstore operating since 1962, and the *Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Manuscript Depository opened in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4138&pid=971 |title=Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Manuscript Depository |access-date=6 February 2016 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225211843/https://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4138&pid=971 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4143&pid=971 |title=Bookstore |access-date=6 February 2016 |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225211844/https://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4143&pid=971 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4142&pid=971|title=The Armenian Church - Մայր Աթոռ Սուրբ Էջմիածին|website=www.armenianchurch.org|access-date=6 February 2016|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225211842/https://www.armenianchurch.org/index.jsp?sid=1&id=4142&pid=971|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The town celebrates the "Ejmiatsin Day" annually since 2008 in Vagharshapat on 8 October. According to the old Armenian tradition, [[Mesrop Mashtots]] brought the newly created [[Armenian alphabet]] to Vagharshapat on 8 October 405.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hetq.am/en/society/ejmiatsin-2/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721100259/http://hetq.am/en/society/ejmiatsin-2/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 July 2012 |title=Hetq online: Etchmiadzin Day Celebrated Today |publisher=Hetq.am |access-date=31 January 2013 }}</ref>

==Monuments==
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| WHS      = Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots
| Criteria = Cultural: ii, iii
| ID       = 1011
| Year     = 2000
| Area        = 74.3 ha
}}
[[File:Mayr Ator.tif|thumb|Etchmiadzin Cathedral]]
[[Etchmiadzin Cathedral]](303), [[Saint Hripsime Church]](618), [[Saint Gayane Church]](630), and [[Zvartnots Cathedral]](652) in most known Church buildings of [[Armenian Architecture]]. All these churches are masterpieces of Armenian architecture that have had a great influence on the architecture of the world. For example, Etchmiadzin Cathedral, which is considered the [[List of oldest church buildings|oldest cathedral in the world]], which inspired architects in different eras.
[[File:St. Hripsime church in Vagharshapat 156.jpg|thumb|Saint Hripsime Church]]
[[File:Saint Gayane church.jpg|thumb|Saint Gayane Church]]
[[File:Zvartnots Cathedral view from air October 2022.jpg|thumb|Zvartnots Cathedral]]
Other churches [[Shoghakat Church]](1694) and [[Holy Mother of God Church, Vagharshapat|Holy Mother of God Church]](1764) were also important churches for Vagharshapat. Now in [[Metsamor site]](4th millennium–8th century BC), statues of vishaps were built there, most of which have survived to this day.

==Transportation==
[[File:Smart bus stop in Armenia.jpg|thumb|Smart bus stop]] [[File:New buses of Vagarshapat.jpg|thumb|Vagarshapat-Yerevan buses introduced in 2018]] 
Vagharshapat is connected with Yerevan and southern Armenia through the M-5 Motorway, while the M-3 Motorway connects the town with northern Armenia.

The [[Zvartnots International Airport]] of Yerevan is located only {{convert|10|km|0|abbr=off}} east of Vagharshapat.

Being located 20&nbsp;km west of the capital [[Yerevan]], Vagharshapat is connected with the capital city with public vans, locally known as ''[[marshrutka]]''. These vehicles used to be mainly Russian-made [[GAZelle]] vans with 13 seats. However, they have changed since 2018. The Vagharshapat-Yerevan buses have regular trips every day from 7 am to 9 pm and cost 300 Armenian drams.<ref>[https://www.armtimes.com/hy/article/144698 N5 եւ N203 երթուղիների հակամարտությունը շարունակվում է. մեկը մյուսի պատճառով վնասներ է կրում]</ref> The route starts from the station near Echmiadzin State College after Vardges Hamazaspyan and finishes at the end of [[Mashtots Avenue]], near to [[Matenadaran]]. Except for the Vagharshapat-Yerevan buses, taxis designed specifically for Vagharshapat-Yerevan trips also operate. Taxis start the route from the center of Vagharshapat and finish at the station near to [[Blue Mosque, Yerevan|Blue Mosque]]. The current rate of the Vagharshapat-Yerevan taxis is 500 Armenian drams per person. Currently, there are 2 smart bus stops in the city.

==Economy==
===Industry===
Vagharshapat was home to the 1st paper factory in the history of Armenia. In 1780, Catholicos [[Simeon I of Yerevan]] founded the [[Etchmiadzin Paper Factory]] which served for 6 years.

Under the Soviet rule, the town was turned into an important industrial centre. It was home to 4 major industrial firms specialized in the production of military technology. However, the productivity of the plants declined after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Currently, the industry of the town is mainly based on food-processing. The largest industrial firms of the town are the Ejmiatsin Instrument Making Factory founded in 1966, the E.P.G. Ejmiatsin Cannery founded in 1969, the Ejmiatsin Kat dairy factory founded in 1997, the Sonimol plant for grains founded in 2001, the Ejmiatsin wine brandy and vodka factory founded in 2005, and the Ekologia V.K.H. biological waste destruction plant founded in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hetq.am/arm/news/38076/bzhshkakan-taponneri-vnasazertsman-gortsaran-ejmiatsnum.html|title=Բժշկական թափոնների վնասազերծման գործարան Էջմիածնում - Հետք - Լուրեր, հոդվածներ, հետաքննություններ}}</ref>

[[File:Center of Vagharshapat.jpg|thumb|Center of Vagharshapat]]

===Tourism===
Being the spiritual centre of the Armenian nation worldwide, Vagharshapat is a major tourist destination for Armenians as well as foreign visitors. It is home to the [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]s of [[Etchmiadzin Cathedral]], [[Zvartnots Cathedral]], [[Saint Hripsime Church]], [[Saint Gayane Church]] and [[Shoghakat Church]], grouped overall as the '''Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots'''.

The ''Machanents Touristic Centre'' of Vagharshapat provides a unique facility for the visitors of the town. The complex houses a cultural centre with small theatre, pub and jazz club, traditional cuisine, and a boutique hotel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mediamax.am/am/news/known_unknown/15490/|title=Ծանոթ-անծանոթ քաղաքը՝ Էջմիածին}}</ref> The ''Zvartnots'' hotel and casino complex is located at the eastern entrance of the town.

==Education==
[[File:Building near Etchmiadzin Cathedral 34.JPG|thumb|Gevorkian Seminary, opened in 1874]]
[[Gevorkian Theological Seminary]] is one of the most significant educational institutions of Armenia. Other educational institutions include the ''Grigor Lusavorich University'' and the intermediate college of vocational education.

[[File:Garegin A center.jpg|thumb|Karekin I Centre of Theology and Armenology]]The [[Karekin I Centre of Theology and Armenology]] is also functioning in the town since 2000.

{{As of|2009}}, Vagharshapat is home to 14 public secondary schools, 8 kindergartens and 2 musical academies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.caa.am/eng/lg.php?section=COMMUNITIES&id=216 |title=Union of Communities of Armenia: Ejmiatsin |publisher=Caa.am |access-date=31 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911132413/http://www.caa.am/eng/lg.php?section=COMMUNITIES&id=216 |archive-date=11 September 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

The new complex of [[Eurnekian School]] of the Mother See was opened in September 2017.

==Sport==

[[FC Vagharshapat]] was the town's only football club, made its debut in the [[Armenian Premier League]] as Zvartnots Echmiadzin in 1992. However, it was dissolved in early 2006 and is currently inactive from professional football. The [[Etchmiadzin Stadium]] located immediately to the south of the Mother See complex, is able to hold up to 3,000 spectators.

In October 2016, the [[Football Federation of Armenia]] has launched the construction of a football academy at the southern suburb of the town, on the Vagharshapat-[[Margara]] motorway. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 12 April 2017, was attended by President [[Serzh Sargsyan]], [[UEFA]] President [[Aleksander Čeferin]] and FFA President Ruben Hayrapetyan. With an approximate cost of US$2 million, the complex will occupy an area of {{convert|55601|m2|0|abbr=off}} and is expected to be completed by October 2017. The project is being jointly financed by the [[Football Federation of Armenia|FFA]], [[UEFA]] and [[FIFA]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://armenpress.am/arm/news/834579|title=ՀՖՖ-ն Արմավիրի մարզում իրականացնելու է ֆուտբոլի զարգացման խոշոր ներդրումային ծրագրեր|date=4 February 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.president.am/en/domestic-visits/item/2017/04/12/President-Serzh-Sargsyan-visited-Armavir-Marz/|title=Working visit of President Serzh Sargsyan to Armavir marz - Domestic visits - Updates - The President of the Republic of Armenia [the official site]|first=Helix Consulting|last=LLC|website=www.president.am}}</ref>

A new sport school is currently under construction in Vagharshapat since 2015, with a cost of more than US$1 million. The project is due to be completed in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ejmiatsin.am/maiin/4099--himnarkeq-.html|title=ԷՋՄԻԱԾԻՆԸ ՖՈՒՏԲՈԼԻ ԱԿԱԴԵՄԻԱ ԿՈՒՆԵՆԱ|access-date=21 May 2017|archive-date=1 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001175012/http://ejmiatsin.am/maiin/4099--himnarkeq-.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The nearby village of [[Aknalich]] (10&nbsp;km south of Vagharshapat) is famous for the ''Ara and Aytsemnik'' equestrian centre.

==International relations==
Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin) has been a member of the [[Organization of World Heritage Cities]] (OWHC)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ovpm.org/fr/armenie/echmiatsin |title=Echmiatsin, Arménie |language=fr |publisher=OVPM |access-date=31 January 2013 |archive-date=5 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605213905/http://www.ovpm.org/fr/armenie/echmiatsin |url-status=dead }}</ref> since 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЕ ОТНОШЕНИЯ |url=http://ejmiatsin.am/mezhdunarodnye-otnosheniya/970-mezhdunarodnye-otnosheniya.html |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=10 June 2015 |language=ru |publisher=Municipality of Ejmiatsin |access-date=7 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929050941/http://ejmiatsin.am/mezhdunarodnye-otnosheniya/970-mezhdunarodnye-otnosheniya.html |archive-date=29 September 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Twin towns – sister cities===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Armenia}}
Vagharshapat is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |url= https://ejmiatsin.am/ |title=Sister Cities |publisher= Municipality of Ejmiatsin |access-date=7 June 2023}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Fresno, California|Fresno]], United States (2009)
*{{flagicon|Republic of Artsakh}} [[Hadrut (town)|Hadrut]], [[Republic of Artsakh]] (2010-2020)
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Issy-les-Moulineaux]], France (1989)
*{{flagicon|Republic of Artsakh}} [[Martakert]], Republic of Artsakh (2010-2023)
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Petrozavodsk]], Russia (2004)
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Sergiyev Posad]], Russia (2010) 
*{{flagicon|PSE}} [[Bethlehem]], Palestine (2024) 
{{div col end}}

===Friendly cities===
Vagharshapat also cooperates with:
*{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Veliko Tarnovo]], Bulgaria (2013)<ref>[https://ejmiatsin.am/relation-detail/7/ Official Website of the Municipality of Ejmiatsin]</ref>
*{{flagicon|GEO}} [[Mtskheta]], Georgia (2016)<ref>{{cite web |title=Sister cities|url=https://ejmiatsin.am/relation-detail/6/|publisher=ejmiatsin.am|date=2016-06-20|access-date=2023-09-21}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|NED}} [[Almelo]], Netherlands (2020)<ref>{{cite web |title=Sister cities|url=https://hyetert.org/2020/01/29/netherlands-almelo-city-decides-to-establish-friendly-relations-with-armenias-ejmiatsin-town/|publisher=HyeTert|date=2020-01-29|access-date=2020-07-02}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*Zacharias II (?–1520), Catholicos of All Armenians 1515–1520{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
*Gregory XII (1498–1590), Catholicos of All Armenians 1576–1590{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
*David IV (?–1633), Catholicos of All Armenians 1590–1629{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
*[[Makar Yekmalyan]] (1856–1905), composer{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}} 
*[[Hovhannes Hovhannisyan]] (1864–1929), poet{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
*[[Yeghishe Tadevosyan]] (1870-1936), artist, pedagogue
*[[Abraham Gyulkhandanyan]] (1875–1946), politician and historian{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
*[[Levon Manaseryan]] (1925), painter{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
*[[Aram Asatryan]] (1953–2006), singer{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
*[[Khoren Gevor]] (1980–), professional boxer{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
*[[Mihran Harutyunyan]] (1989-), wrestler, professional [[Mixed martial arts|MMA]] fighter and Olympic Silver Medalist{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
*[[Andranik Karapetyan]] (1995-), European champion in weightlifting
*[[Arman Adikyan]] (1984-), Greco-Roman wrestler
*[[Siranush Andriasian]] (1986-), professional chess player and three time Armenian champion
*[[Sedrak Saroyan]] (1967–2022), general and MP
*[[Andranik Hakobyan (boxer)|Andranik Hakobyan]], professional boxer
*[[Hamlet Manukyan]], gymnast
*[[Anahit Mekhitarian]], opera singer
*[[Haykaz Galstyan]], Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler.
*[[Armen Melikyan]], Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler.
*[[Narek Abgaryan]], boxer
*[[Vahagn Militosyan]], professional footballer
*[[Albert Mnatsakanyan]], professional footballer
*[[Arthur Manukyan]], director and producer
*[[Spiridon Melikyan]], musicologist, composer, choirmaster, and teacher

==See also==
* [[Armenian Apostolic Church]]
* [[Arsacid dynasty of Armenia]]
* [[Echmiadzin Gospels]]
* [[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]]
* [[Vologases V]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://artsandculture.google.com/story/8gWxbYlGi65CWw Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots] UNESCO Collection on Google Arts and Culture
* {{commons category-inline|Vagharshapat}}
* {{Wikivoyage inline}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Echmiadzin | volume= 8 |last1= Kropotkin |first1= Peter Alexeivitch |author1-link= Peter Kropotkin| last2= Bealby |first2= John Thomas| pages = 883&ndash;884 |short= 1}}

{{Vagharshapat}}
{{Cities and towns in Armenia}}
{{Historic capitals of Armenia}}
{{World Heritage Sites in Armenia}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Vagharshapat| ]]
[[Category:Former capitals of Armenia]]
[[Category:Holy cities]]
[[Category:Populated places in Armavir Province]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 7th century BC]]
[[Category:Armenian Apostolic Church]]