Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, Gyumri

Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God (Armenian: Սուրբ Աստվածածին Մայր Եկեղեցի), also known as the Our Lady of Seven Wounds (Armenian: Սուրբ Աստվածամոր Յոթ Վերք), is a 19th-century church in Gyumri, Armenia. Occupying the northern side of the Vartanants Square, the cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Shirak of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The church was constructed between 1873 and 1884.[1]

Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God
Սուրբ Աստվածածին Մայր Եկեղեցի
Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God
Religion
AffiliationDiocese of Shirak, Armenian Apostolic Church
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusactive
Location
LocationVartanants Square, Gyumri,
Shirak Province,  Armenia
Architecture
TypeArmenian
StyleCruciform rectangular
Groundbreaking1873
Completed1884
Dome(s)3

Architecture

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The church of the Holy Mother of God belongs to the Cruciform style of the Armenian churches with an external rectangular shape. The belfry is located at the top of the main entrance on the western side of the building. The church is topped with a large dome at the center surrounded with 2 minor domes. Unlike other Armenian churches, the altar at the Holy Mother of God is unique for its multi-iconic decoration.

The church remained active during the Soviet years.[2]

After the 1988 Armenian earthquake, the two minor domes fell down and they were replaced with new ones. The fallen domes are currently placed in the church yard.

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References

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  1. ^ Seven Wounds Church, Gyumri
  2. ^ "Holy Mother of God, Gyumri". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
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40°47′10″N 43°50′32″E / 40.78611°N 43.84222°E / 40.78611; 43.84222