321 B.C. Nowadays its just a fun celebration, some kind of a water festival. Despite being a fixed-date holiday Christmas is a non-working day and its a day to spend with your family. Islam or Turks came here later. The Cross has been there since. Despite this, Armenia continued to exercise its influence across Europe and Asia, becoming one of the first cultures to adopt . These reformists were excommunicated and organized an independent religious community, the Evangelical Church. Armenia also had to close all its churches. The law prohibits, but does not define, proselytism . It stands until now. As a result, as early as the beginning of the 4th century, the Kingdom of Armenia became the first country to officially adopt Christianity as a state religion. We want to make sure that every single person, be it a tourist or a native, who is curious about this country, gets the most accurate, most appropriate information on many attractions and various things connected to Armenia and the Armenians. Many of these monuments host thousands of pilgrims every year. This one is a pure religious holiday, usually celebrated on Sunday, between September 11-17. Nearly all illuminated Armenian manuscripts up to the 12th century were Gospels. There is a neo-ethnic modern "pagan" movement in Armenia. The underwater excavations were led by Van Yznc Yl University and the governorship of Turkey's eastern Bitlis Province. It was imposed by the ruling dynasty and pagan temples were forcefully destroyed. Of the 3.1 million people living in Armenia, approximately 98% are of ethnic Armenian descent. The only way to save it and still be able to visit and worship was moving it to the only operating church. Before this, the dominant religion was Armenian paganism, under the theological influence of Zoroastrianism. Typically, marriage only occurs between two Yazidis. Though Armenia is not a religious country, religion has always been infused with politics. recent archeological excavations in Hoghmik village. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2022 worldatlas.com, African Countries With Islam As The Religion Of The Majority. Its also exempt from taxes whereas religious minorities are not. This holiday is always celebrated on the nearest Sunday, between August 12-18. It was so big that it wouldnt fit in a car and there was no time to find a truck. However, this does not mean that we Armenians are sin-free; along with the others mentioned above, it indicates that the Armenian Church is not Catholic. It finds some support from nationalist political parties of Armenia, particularly the Republican Party of Armenia and the Union of Armenian Aryans.[8]. The church was built on top of the pagan temple remains. As tradition tells us, apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus were on a mission to preach Christianity in this region in the 1st century. Armenian monks have copied The Holy Bible and Gospels numerous times. In case you have a spare hour on a Sunday while in Armenia, make sure to enter any church between 11 am and 1 pm. Its spiritual and clerical center is the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin. The actual Christmas day also starts with a special liturgy. So, early in the 4th century, when Armenians were converted to Christianity by King Tiridates and Saint Gregory the llluminator, there were already early Christian communities in Armenia. Executive Summary. Tradition. These two have walked hand in hand through millennia and its worth knowing about. He was the great apostle of Armenia. The head of Armenian Church is the Armenian Catholicos, who is elected by archbishops. Even though there are not so many actively practicing religious Armenians these days, the Armenian identity is deeply connected with the Christian identity of our nation. The majority of these individuals identify as members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, around 92.5%. The 10 Most Educated Countries in the World. Gregory is credited with converting king Tiridates the Great (r. c. 298 to c. 330 CE) to the new religion, formally establishing the . The St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Cathedral at the Holy See of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon. In June 2016, Pope Francis visited Armenia. The Armenian Apostolic Church has its spiritual center at the Etchmiadzin Cathedral. Armenia is an ancient Christi@n kingdom and the first great empire to accept Christi@nity as a state religion. Armenian Catholics live mainly in the northern region, in seven villages in the Shirak Province and six villages in the Lori Province. Also, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church the supreme spiritual head of all the Armenians. As of 2011, most Armenians are Christians (97%)[1] and are members of Armenia's own church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, which is one of the oldest Christian churches. 10 Countries Where Women Far Outnumber Men. The Kingdom of Armenia often served as a client state or vassal at the frontier of the two large empires and their successors, the Byzantine and Sassanid empires. This is mostly the main symbolic difference between the Armenian Apostolic Church and Catholic Church. This was a native religion, thats to say, an ethnic belief system. . Everyone tried to pour rosewater and put out the candle of the person in front of them. Armenia, at its start, is a Hellenic Armenian autocracy located in the Anatolia and Caucasia regions, Near East subcontinent of the Asia and Europe continent, also some land in the Persia region and subcontinent of the Asia continent. Yerevan also has a small community of Muslims, including ethnic Kurds, Iranians, and temporary residents from the Middle East. This means the AAC is afforded many privileges not given to other churches. The latter is a patron saint of Armenia, after adopting Christianity as the official religion of the kingdom of Armenia by King Tiridates III. The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia was established during the High Middle Ages amid fierce religious wars by the Rubenid dynasty, an offshoot of the larger Bagratid family, which at various times had held the thrones of Armenia and Georgia. 11 of the most awaited cultural events happening in Yerevan. The Kingdom of Armenia, [b] ( Armenian: , romanized: Hayastani t'agavorut'yun) was an independent Armenian state established by Ashot I of the Bagratuni dynasty in the early 880s [2] following nearly two centuries of foreign domination of Greater Armenia under Arab Umayyad and Abbasid rule. The major one is Ejmiatsin Cathedral, which, together with the surrounding churches is in the UNESCO heritage list. Yazidis are concentrated primarily in agricultural areas around Mount Aragats, northwest of the capital Yerevan. Not to mention that the Churches and monasteries were the main centers of culture, education, and writing. When you do, you will feel that you can never bypass religion in Armenia. On the right "Armenia Capta", with symbols of Armenia; Armenian Tiara and bow case with quiver. The Armenian Evangelical Church was established in 1846. Armenian Religion; About 94 percent of Armenians consider themselves Armenian Christians, having derived their faith directly from Christ's apostles. : M. Chahin. ZOROASTRIAN BELIEFS. If you ask each of these Armenians what it means for him/her, being Armenian, the majority of them will give you the same answer: Being Armenian means being Christian. In addition, Armenians restored the temple in the 1960s. The only operating Church in the whole Shirak region was the central one. Thats why when asked about the religion they follow, most Armenians would promptly say theyre Christian, even though they are not practicing their religion much. Each also has its own enlightening stories and secretive spirit. See also: Holy See of Cilicia and Roman Catholicism in Asia . So why does the church bless grapes? As we know, writing and recording historical events has been funded by the state or influential people, so the price this nation paid for adopting Christianity was omitted from the history on purpose. The Kingdom of Armenia. At present, the Catholicos of All Armenians is His Holiness Garegin II. The title exists for the entirety of the timeframe of Crusader Kings II. Other religions include Judaism, Yazidism, and Paganism. Many present-day religious events and celebrations have pagan roots, as most probably thats how it was easier to make the nation start celebrating holidays of this new religion. 93% of them belong to the Apostolic Church. While the majority of contemporary works on Armenia concentrate on the modern era, The Kingdom of Armenia takes its beginning in the third century BC, with the ancient literate peoples of Mesopotamia who had commercial interests in the land of Armenia, and continues with a comprehensive overview through to the end of the Middle Ages. He is one of the most important saints in the Christian world. The first nation to adopt Christianity. Commagene (Greek: ) was an ancient Greco-Iranian kingdom ruled by a Hellenized branch of the Iranian Orontid dynasty that had ruled over Armenia. As a result, as early as the beginning of the 4th century, the Kingdom of Armenia became the first country to officially adopt Christianity as a state religion. the Armenian king Trdat III in 301 AD declared Christianity the state religion of Armenia, thus making Armenia the first Christian state in the world, with Gregory the . Early Armenian migrations to Cilicia Cilicia under Tigranes the Great. Gregory, trained in Christianity and ordained to the presbyterate at Caesarea, returned to his native land to preach about 287, the same time that . There is one temple from that era. Thus, it has a doctrine. The Kingdom of Armenia was the first state to adopt Christianity as its religion when St. Gregory the Illuminator converted King Tiridates III and members of his court, an event dated to AD 301. The 2011 census counted 13,996 Catholics. According to legend, the Armenian kingdom was founded in the region of Lake Van by Haig (variously shown as Haik, Hayk, or Hay) - one of Noah's descendants. Ejmiatsin Cathedral was the first Christian church built in the Armenian Highland. The Armenian churches and monasteries are built throughout Armenia. Armenian Apostolic Church is Armenian's church which was founded in the 1st century AD. There are married priests in Armenia, as well as celibate monks. becomes Armenia; gains 25 prestige. Again, in 1441, long after the fall of the kingdom, the Armenian Catholicos of Sis, Grigor IX Musabekiants, proclaimed the union of the Armenian and Latin churches at the Council of Florence; this was countered by an Armenian schism under Kirakos I Virapetsi, who moved . In memory of the victory over Armenia. Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6, just like the Orthodox church. You can see new and old beautiful Catholic churches in Gyumri, Bavra, and many other villages where Catholic Armenians live. Armenia went on to become the first nation in the world to declare Christianity as its national religion in the 4th Century. Armenia is an open-air museum of Christianity. Religion. It lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks. The Catholics use the symbol of Jesus crossed, while the AAC considers the cross as a tool for salvation rather than death. Like elsewhere in the world, religion in Armenia has been the driving force for different human actions since time immemorial. He was the first Catholicos. If you want to find out how important Christianity is for Armenians, the words of Saint Vardan Mamikonyan commander will definitely make you understand. Apparently, the religion got more and more popular and gained followers. Observe the same symbolic tiara that represented Armenia during these ancient times. Our father who art in heaven As a result, nearly 20% of over 14,000 Armenian manuscripts in Matenadaran are Gospels or Bibles. The celebration tradition goes back to pagan times. Medieval Armenia / Armenian Kingdom (7th-15th c.) Armenian Kings & Dynasties Kingdom of Cilicia Early Modern Age (16th-early 20th c.) 1st Republic / Turkish & Soviet Invasions Political Parties Soviet Period / Armenian SSR Repatriation / Stalinist Repression Diaspora / Colonies / Identity [18] Following Perestroika, the first Bah Local Spiritual Assemblies of Armenia form in 1991[19] and Armenian Bahs elected their first National Spiritual Assembly in 1995. Throughout its history, Armenia was ruled by different local principalities that owned different regions so very often they invested their wealth in church construction. The Law on Freedom of Conscience establishes the separation of church and state but it grants the Armenian Church official status as the national church. In addition, the main prayer accepted by Armenian Church is Khair Mer (Our Father). Its said that this ritual is opening the harvest season and thus blessing all the harvest till the next years autumn. The Lord heard his prayers. Thy will be done This article is about the Christian kingdom. The celebration date depends on the Lunar cycle. Typically on that day you will see everyone holding bottles or candle holders walking home. Then, the priest will place a crown on the couple's heads to symbolize their little kingdom. This number shouldnt be surprising, as 98% and more people living in Armenia are ethnic Armenians. Most were used for agricultural purposes, served as storage bases or a secure place to store construction materials. The majority of these individuals live around Mount Aragats. Throughout history, Armenians did not convert to Islam in large numbers despite long periods of Muslim rule. It was one of 8 mosques in Yerevan, which were all Shia mosques founded by the Iranian Khanate during Persian domination, which lasted til 1828. [3], In the 21st century, the largest minority Christian churches in the country are composed of new converts to Protestant and non-trinitarian Christianity, a combined total up to 38,989 persons (1.3%). Then, the king converted his entire kingdom to Christianity in 301 AD. It recognizes the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) as the national church and preserver of national identity but also establishes separation of "religious organizations" and the state. According to another legend, there was a game pagan young people played. The singing and recital parts of those ceremonies are done in Grabar, the ancient Armenian language. The cross is inside the central 7 Wounds (Yot Verk) Church, which is located at the central square. Some other traces of paganism were found during recent archeological excavations in Hoghmik village in Shirak region. Unfortunately though, there is no anti-discrimination law yet to fully protect religious minorities. After, they take just a little cluster home for all family members to taste at least one grape. Not to mention that Christianity and the Christian mindset of being loving and kind, plays a major role in the Armenian daily life of this nation. The Holy Liturgy (Arm. The movement traces its origins back to the work of the early-20th-century political philosopher and revolutionary Garegin Nzhdeh and his doctrine of tseghakron (rejuvenation through national religion). JWs, Mormons and Evangelical groups have their worship buildings and shrines in different big and small towns. The heart of the Armenian religion is located in the town of Ejmiatsin. Its also home for the oldest university in modern Armenia which is religious too the Gevorkian Theological Seminary founded in 1874. This post is dedicated to the Armenian religion, its history, variations and beliefs. The first major state in the region was the kingdom of Aratta. Currently there is no significant Muslims population in Armenia, but considering the fact that from the 11th til the 19th century Armenia was subjected to the invasions of different Muslim countries and Islamic tribes, there were different Muslim communities living in Armenia til the end of the 20th century. The Armenian Apostolic Church traces . Adherents call themselves Hetans or Hetanos (, the Old Armenian biblical term loaned from Greek "gentile"), and their religion is called Hetanism (, Hetanosutyun).The movement traces its origins in the work of the early 20th century political philosopher and revolutionary Garegin . More than 92% of religious people identify themselves as followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Today, this religion is practiced in several countries. Pagan practices did not prevent to spread the word of God to Armenians. Other minority religions, and their respective numbers of followers, include Evangelicals, which total 29,280 adherents among Armenia's population, followed by Catholics (13,996), Jehovahs Witnesses (8,695), Eastern Orthodox Christians (8,587), Molokan (2,974), Assyrian Church of the East (1,733), Islam (812), Protestant (733), and Mormon (241). If you find it insightful, please me onInstagramorTwitter, with#ArmeniaTravelTips. Along with this, the Law also states the importance of the Armenian Apostolic Church and its role in uniting the grand majority of the population. . The autocracy exists at the start of the timeline year 2, with cores, bordering fellow Hellenic Pontus and Iberia north and Rome, Cappadocia and Commagene west . Armenia was the first to adopt Christianity as its State religion in 301. The Armenian church has its own calendar of holidays and each of them have a special celebration. He survived by the grace of a kind woman who secretly brought him food and water. . The small chapels and churches of abandoned settlements contain surrealistic items of vernacular Christianity, and they are so unique that you start to think that you have discovered a new religion. Hence, they are considered the founders of the Armenian church, now called the Apostolic. Freedom of religion is a guaranteed right under the Constitution, which also allows for conscientious objection to military service. The only major surviving monument is Garni temple, one of the most-visited venues now. Artashisian dynasty, First Armenian Kingdom Armenia under the Yervanduni dynasty soon became a satrapy of the mighty Achemenide Persia, and later part of the Seleucid Empire. The Armenians have therefore maintained an ancient and rich liturgical and Christian literary tradition. According to them, the word is related to the modern Armenian word vard () which means a rose and var () meaning to burn. Most left Armenia for Israel after the collapse of the Soviet Union in pursuit of better living standards. After being controlled by the Persians and Umayyad Arabs for centuries the Royal House of Bagratid was finally able to secure their independence from the Arabs in the late 800's. Ashot I, born in 820 and the first ruler of the new kingdom had taken control of . Today modern Armenia occupies half of historical . The Armenian Church has not recognized the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon of 451. At this time the Kingdom of Armenia was established under the Orontid Dynasty. [12][13] In 2009, the Pew Research Center estimated that less than 0.1% of the population, or about 1,000 people, were Muslims. The Blue Mosque in Yerevan is a vivid example. The whole week before Sunday is Holy. For the history of the city, see History of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. During this time Armenia reached the peak of its power becoming a great and powerful nation. Btw, sometimes I come across a misconception that Armenia is not safe for Muslims. With the blessing of Tiridates, Gregory continued preaching throughout . In 301 Christianity in Armenia was adopted as the state religion. Before the introduction of this new religion, Armenias main religion was Hetanism, a.k.a the Armenian paganism. While Christianity was secretly practiced by an increasing number Armenians during the first and second centuries AD, it was St. Gregory (302-325) and King Trdat III (287-330) who officially announced Christianity as the official religion. Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as an official state religion in 301 AD. People believe that the Christ Himself came to St. Gregory and pointed to the place where the Cathedral of the Armenian Church should have been built. Some ethnic groups living in Armenia, such as Yazidis, have retained their own religion, but they are a minority in Armenia. It is the monastery of the Order of Mkhitarian Island of San Lazzaro in Venice, which has a rich library. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Armenia has approximately 3 million population of which 98.1% are ethnic Armenians. For this purpose, we amass data which covers all the relevant and needed things for those who have the wish to explore more about Armenia. Factbook > Countries > Armenia > Demographics. gets the event 'New Traditions & Ambitions', unless it has custom or Armenian ideas. In 301, Arsacid Armenia was the first sovereign nation to accept Christianity as a state religion. The conversion wasnt smooth though. Gregory stayed there for 13 years. These individuals came to present-day Armenia in an attempt to escape religious persecution by Ottoman Turks and Sunni Kurds in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. The Catholic Church in Armenia is divided between Latin Rite parishes (subject to Apostolic Administration of the Caucasus) and Armenian Catholic Church's parishes. . According to the Census of 2011, there are 1,733 Nestorians in Armenia. In 301, Armenian Arsacid king Tiridates III proclaimed Christianity as the state religion of Armenia, making the Armenian kingdom the first state to embrace Christianity officially. Very soon Christianity is officially adopted as Armenia's state religion. People usually dont sell or eat grapes until this day, when grapes are blessed. [10], Currently there are an estimated 750 Jews in the country, a remnant of a once larger community. There are four hierarchical Sees in the Armenian Church. It is a non-Chalcedonic church belonging to the Oriental Orthodoxy. Pagans hold rites and ceremonies in Garni temple, Zorats Karer astrological monument in Syunik and in similar outdoor spaces. Ahura Mazda is the highest God and Creator of the universe. According to the Census of 2011, there are 7,587 adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy in Armenia, mainly Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians and Greeks.

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