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138 The Armenian Church

churches had a vestibule area (gawit‘), which
was often separated from the main body
of the building by a high grill, where the
catechumens were gathered at the com-
mencement of the eucharistic celebration. A
big bell hangs at the main entrance of the
church below a small dome.
The foundations of Armenian churches
are blessed and at the completion of the
construction they are consecrated. They are
normally dedicated to the Holy Trinity,
Christ the Savior, the Holy Cross, the Holy
Theotokos, St. John the Baptist, St. Gregory
the Illuminator, or other saints. The archi-
tecture of the Armenian church, although
rooted in oriental models, has been in-
fluenced by western architecture. In turn, it
has influenced the architecture of Byzantine,
Gothic, and modern churches.
Armenian Calendar
The Armenian calendar begins in 552 and
is used in Armenian history, liturgy, the
encyclicals of catholicoi, and generally in
official church documents. According to this
calendar, the Armenian New Year starts on
Nawasard 1, which corresponds to August 11
of the Gregorian calendar. The year com-
prises 12 months: Nawasard, Hor˙i, Sahmi, Trē,
K‘ałoc‘, Arac‘, Mehekan, Areg, Ahekan, Mareri,
Margac‘, Hrotic‘. Each day and each hour has
its proper name. The Armenian alphabet is