ECHMIADZIN, or ITSMIADSIN  , a monastery of Russian Transcaucasia, in the government of Erivan, the seat of the Catholicus or primate of the Armenian church . It is situated close to the village of Vagarshapat, in the plain of the Aras, 2840 ft. above the sea, 12 M . W. of Erivan and 40 N. of Mount Ararat . The monastery comprises a pretty extensive complex of buildings, and is surrounded by brick walls 30 ft. high, which with their loopholes and towers present the appearance of a fortress . Its architectural character has been considerably impaired by additions and alterations in modern Russian style . On the western side of the quadrangle is the residence of the primate, on the south the refectory (173o-1735), on the east the lodgings for the monks, and on the north the cells . • The cathedral is a small but fine cruciform building with a Byzantine cupola at the intersection . Its foundation is ascribed to St Gregory the Illuminator in 302 . Of special interest is the porch, built of red porphyry, and profusely adorned with sculptured designs somewhat of a Gothic character . The interior is decorated with Persian frescoes of flowers, birds and scroll-work . It is here that the Catholicus confers episcopal consecration by the sacred hand (relic) of St Gregory; and here every seven years he prepares with great solemnity the holy oil which is to be used throughout the churches of the Armenian communion . Outside of the main entrance are the alabaster tombs of the primates Alexander I .

(1714), Alexander II . (1755),

Daniel (1806) and Narses (1857), and a white marble monument, erected by the Epglish East India Company to mark the resting-place of Sir John Macdonald Kinneir, who died at Tabriz in 183o, while on an embassy to the Persian court . The library of the monastery is a rich storehouse of Armenian literature (see Brosset's Catalogue de la bibliotheque d'Etchmiadzin, St Petersburg, 1840) . Among the more remarkable manuscripts are a copy of the gospels dating from the loth or 11th century, and three bibles of the 13th century . A type-foundry, a printing-press and a bookbinding establishment are maintained by the monks who supply religious and educational works for their co-religionists . To the east of the monastery is a modern college and seminary . Half a mile to the east stand the churches of St Ripsime and St Gaiana, two of the early martyrs of Armenian Christianity; the latter is the burial-place of those primates who are not a, Generative pore with spermatozoa coming out . b, Anterior blind end of intestine attached to the parenchymatous tissue by muscular strands . c, Green wandering chlorophyll . d, Parenchymatous connective tissue . e, Epidermis . i, Intestine .

j, Vas deferens . 1,

Internal opening of vas deferens . m, The left anal vesicle . n, Spermatozoa in the body-cavity . cells containing deemed worthy of interment beside the cathedral . From a distance the three churches form a fairly striking group, and accordingly the Turkish name for Echmiadzin is Uch-Kilissi, or the Three Churches . The town of Vagarshapat dates from the 6th century B.C.; it takes its name from King Vagarsh (Vologaeses), who in the and century A.D. chose it as his residence and surrounded it with walls . Here the apostle of Armenia, St Gregory the Illuminator, erected a church in 309 and with it the primacy was associated . In 344 Vagarshapat ceased to be the Armenian capital, and in the 5th century the patriarchal seat was removed to Dvin, and then to Ani . The monastery was founded by Narses II., who ruled 524–533; and a restoration was effected in 618 . The present name of the monastery was adopted instead of Vagarshapat in the roth century . At length in 1441 the primate George brought back the see to the original site .

(P . A . K.; J . T .