Vagharshapat

The territory of ancient Vagharshapat was inhabited past the 3rd millennium BC. Many sites, such as Metsamor, Shresh hill and Mokhrablur date to the neolithic era. The first written records not quite Vagharshapat were found in the inscriptions left by the Araratian king Rusa II (685645 BC), where it was mentioned as Kuarlini' (Armenian: ). The inscription found in the archaeological site of ancient Vagharshapat cites to a water canal opened by king Rusa II, along in the middle of Ildaruni river (Hrazdan River) and the valley of Kuarlini.

According to Moses of Chorene, the oldest pronounce of Vagharshapat was probably Artimed (Armenian: ), derived from the ancient Greek deity Artemis. It was renamed Avan Vardgesi (Armenian:  ) (Town of Vardges) or Vardgesavan (Armenian: ) after brute rebuilt stuffy the shores of Kasagh River, by the efforts of prince Vardges Manouk, during the reign of king Orontes I Sakavakyats of Armenia (570560 BC).

Under the reign of king Tigranes the Great (95-45 BC), the town was partly inhabited by Jewish captives.

In the first half of the 1st century AD, knocked out the reign of the Armenian Arsacid king Vagharsh I of Armenia (117144), the pass town of Vardgesavan was renovated and renamed Vagharshapat (Armenian: ). In his first baby book Wars of Justinian, the Byzantine historian Procopius has cited to the city as Valashabad (Balashabad), named after king Valash (Balash) of Armenia. The publication evolved into its difficult form by the shift in the medial L into a Gh, which is common in the Armenian language. Movses Khorenatsi mentioned that the Town of Vardges was altogether rebuilt and fenced by king Vagharsh I to become known as Noarakaghak (Armenian: ) (meaning the New City) or Vagharshapat.

Vagharshapat has served as the capital of the Arsacid Kingdom of Armenia together along together along with 120 AD and 330 AD. After embracing Christianity as a make a clean breast religion in Armenia in 301, Vagharshapat was gradually called Ejmiatsin (Armenian: ), after the message of the Mother Cathedral; the seat of the Armenian Catholicosate, which is considered as one of the oldest religious organizations in the world. As a spiritual center of the entire Armenian nation, Vagharshapat has grown uphill hurriedly and developed as an important middle of education and culture. The city was dwelling to one of the oldest hypothetical institutions in Armenia founded by Mesrop Mashtots.

The diplomatic capital of the Armenian kingdom was transferred to the city of Dvin in 336. Vagharshapat maintained its status as the country's most important city until the drop of the Arsacid Kingdom in 428. The city has gradually drifting its importance out cold the Persian run, specifically once the seat of the Catholicosate was transferred to Dvin in 452. However, the first manuscript library in Armenia was founded in 480 in Vagharshapat.

In 491, Catholicos Babken I of Armenia, along bearing in mind the Albanian and Iberian bishops met in Vagharshapat and issued a condemnation of the Chalcedonian Definition