Zorats church is a truly unique 14th-century structure. No other church like it exists in Armenia. The open western entrance, with no closed inner hall, is a surprising architectural feature that does not contain a traditional vaulted hall and domed ceiling. The only roofed enclosure is the eastern altar apse and its two adjacent vestries.
If you walk towards the altar, you’ll notice its unusual height. Scholars believe
the altar was constructed for soldiers sitting on horses. These riders could comfortably dismount their horses or remain seated to receive their blessing. This allowed soldiers to accept the sacrament before heading off to their posting or to battle. During the time of its use, Armenian princes reigned under the rule of the Mongols. The Mongols enlisted the Armenians to help them fight the Mamluks and Turkish tribes, in a turbulent era that required the participation of Armenian soldiers.
Zorats Church (Panorama by 360° Stories)
Zorats church (Photo by Stephanie Moore, My Armenia Program, Smithsonian Institution and USAID)
A khachkar grave-marker (Photo by Stephanie Moore, My Armenia, Smithsonian Institution and USAID)
Zorats Church
Historical Attractions
Did you know
The Mongols built one of the largest territorial empires in history, with lands stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Adriatic Sea. Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, the Mongols had relationships with Armenian princes in lands corresponding to present-day Armenia and the rulers of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (12th to 14th centuries), which was located in southeastern Anatolia. It is important to note that the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia was not directly related nor territorially connected to contemporary princely rule further east in the