Armenia - the world’s first Christian country: BBC

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia made Christianity its official religion in 301 AD, and this history can still be seen today, BBC said in a fresh article about how the country “invented” Christendom.

“With a population of only 3 million people, Armenia is one of the smallest countries in Europe. But it has a sizable place in spiritual history: most historians believe that in 301 AD, it became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity,” the piece says.

“Today, around 95% of Armenians are Christian, and the country’s pious history can be traced back through some of its ancient sites and monuments.”

In a feature published on Thursday, April 6, BBC outlines the history of Armenia’s conversion to Christianity, beginning from the story of Gregory the Illuminator - the first head of the Armenian Apostolic Church - to his imprisonment for refusing to renounce Christianity and his ultimate success in converting King Tiridates III and the whole country to the religion.

In reference to the traces of the past, the publication mentions the ancient temple of Garni, which predates the spread of Christianity in Armenia and is said to have been built for the god of sun in Armenian mythology.

Also, the article provides an insight into St. Gayane Church in Vagharshapat, Khor Virap - a monastery located in the Ararat Plain - Monastery of Geghard, a Unesco World Heritage Site, the marvelous Noratus Cemetery, and the ancient Karahunj, which covers an area of approximately 70,000 sq miles and consists of tombs, a central ring and rows of megaliths that could date back 7,000 years.

Historians believe Karahunj served as a prehistoric burial ground, as it was common for the dead to be buried in cists and covered with slabs of stone during the Bronze Age.