CHRISTIANITY IN ARMENIA Armenia is a country of old legends and Biblical stories. It is said that on his descent from Ararat, Noah first stepped onto this land and as a result of his blessings and Christian faith, Armenia has survived many foreign invasions through centuries and is a thriving republic presently. Armenia has hundreds of unique Christian monuments, amazing sites, waterfalls, Skyscraping Mountains and wonderful people with rich heritage and warm hospitality. The blue Lake Sevan and a shining sun almost eight months of the year will be your friendly guide throughout Armenia. Even the fruits carry the spice and smell of the sun. You will find in Armenia a society rich with cultural and artistic life, surrounded by beautiful architecture. In 2001 Armenia celebrated the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity as a state Religion. The history of Christianity in Armenia refers to the time when Christ's Apostles St. Thaddeus and Bartholomew preached in Armenia around 100 AD. According to legend, at the end of the 3rd century King Trdat III begun persecuting Christians in Armenia. He executed a group of thirty-seven Christian virgins who had fled to Armenia to escape Roman persecution. The leader of this group was Gayane, who, along with Hripsime is revered as one of the founding saints of the Armenian Church. After committing this crime, King Trdat became insane. The sister of Trdat, Khosrovidoukht, had a dream in which a man told her that the persecution of Christians must stop. She told her brother that he would be cured if Gregory the Illuminator were released from Khor Virap, where he was imprisoned. The King agreed to release Gregory. Gregory restored Trdat's health, who adopted Christianity. In 301 King Trdat declared Christianity a state religion and Armenia thereby became the first Christian state to adopt Christianity as its religion. Later, Gregory had a vision in which Christ descended from Heaven and struck the earth at the town of Vagharshapat with a golden hammer. Following this, Gregory had a vision of a great Christian temple rising from the ashes. Gregory built a reproduction of the church. He renamed Vagharshapat as "Echmiadzin" (which means "the Descent of the Only-Begotten" in Armenian). Because of his role in bringing the light of Christ to the Armenian people, St. Gregory is called "the Illuminator" and is venerated as the patron saint of the Armenian Church.