Page 66 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

Hierarchy and Decision-making
67
St. Gregory the Illuminator, the first
catholicos, and his early successors had
their residence at St. Etchmiadzin. With the
change of the centers of political life and
under the pressure of political and security
factors, the Catholicosate has changed its
seat a number of times in the course of
history. However, under all circumstances,
the Cathedral of St. Etchmiadzin, as the
symbol of the formal conversion of Armenia
to Christianity, preserved its profound spi-
ritual symbolism and historical significance.
According to historians, before the accept-
ance of Christianity as the state religion,
the center of the Armenian Church was
in Ardaz, Artaz (43-300). St. Gregory the
Illuminator established the Catholicosate in
St. Etchmiadzin, in Vagharshabad (Vałar-
šapat), the capital of Armenia. After residing
for almost two centuries in St. Etchmiadzin
(302-485), the Catholicosate moved to Tvin,
Duin (485-927), then to Tsoravank, Joravank‘
(927-930), Aghtamar, Ałt‘amar (931-949), Ar-
gina, Arkina (949-992), Ani, Ani (992-1062), in
Armenia; then Sebastia, Sebastia (1051-1057),
near Cilicia; and then it moved to Cilicia,
where it was established in Tawplur,
T‘awblur (1062-1072), Dzamntav, Camnt‘aw
(1072-1116), Shougr, Šułr (1105-1120), Dzovk,
Covk‘ (1116-1147), Hromkla, Hr˙omkla (1147-
1293) and, finally, in 1293, in Sis, the capital
of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.