Saint Vartan Armenian Cathedral

St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral (Armenian: Սուրբ Վարդան Մայր Տաճար) in New York City is the first cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church to be constructed in North America. It is located in New York City on the corner of Second Avenue and Thirty-fourth street and was built to resemble the Saint Hripsime Church in Etchmiadzin (Vagharshapat). St. Vartan's was consecrated on April 28, 1968 by Vazgen I, Catholicos of Armenia and of All Armenians.

Architecture

Walker O. Cain, of the firm Steinman, Cain & White – successor firm to McKim, Mead and White – with Edward Utudjian of Paris as a consultant, designed the Cathedral. The building includes two unique features distinct to Armenian architecture: the use of double-intersecting arches and a pyramidal dome soaring 120 feet above street level.

Around the dome there are various symbols, including the figure of Jesus Christ; the Holy Spirit represented by a dove; the Greek letters alpha and omega superimposed on the scriptures; wheat and grapes representing the Eucharist; and the Phoenix symbolizing resurrection etc. A series of high, narrow, stained-glass windows are set into the main walls of the cathedral below the dome depicting scenes in the life of Christ and early Christianity in Armenia. The patron saint of the cathedral, St. Vartan, is depicted fighting the Sassanid Persians who threatened the Armenian Church during the fifth century. Ecumenism is symbolized in the portrait of St. Nerses and the crosses of Christendom.

Text imported from Wikipedia article "St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral" and modified on July 23, 2019 according to the CC-BY-SA 4.0 International license.