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Zorats Church in Armenia
Zorats Church is a church built on a hill overlooking the Yeghegis River in present-day Armenia. The church was built in the early 14th century and dedicated by Bishop Stepanos Tarsayitch, who was the grandson of an Orbelian prince. Armenia was at this time a contested territory between various Turkish tribes. Zorats Church is unique among Armenian churches in that it has no inner hall – the only roofed spaces are the eastern altar apse and its two annexes, which are open to a large yard. The church is said to have been created so that Armenian warriors could receive the sacrament and blessings before going to battle.
Questions & Answers
When were churches first built?
- Churches appear in the 1st century as homes of believers in which Christian worship services were held. Buildings constructed specifically as houses of worship appear between the 1st and 2nd centuries.
What is the oldest church in the world?
- The oldest church in the world extant is the Dura-Europos Church in Dura-Europos, Syria.
What is the largest church in the world?
- St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, constructed 1506-1626, is the largest church in the world.
What caused the change in the design of churches?
- Churches were often - not always - ornate and heavily ornamented buildings until the Protestant Reformation of 1517. Afterwards, Protestant congregations constructed more modest structures with a focus on the pulpit and a reduction or elimination of iconography and ornamentation. Catholic churches, generally, continued to be built with an emphasis on the grandeur and majesty of God.
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External Links
The Church Building: Catholic Identity
catholicidentity.bne.catholic.edu.au
Church Architecture, Styles & History : Types of Churches
www.nationalchurchestrust.org
Postwar Building Boom | Article Archive | The Institute for Sacred Architecture
www.sacredarchitecture.org
The History of The Church Steeple - Religious Product News
www.religiousproductnews.com
