Treasury Museum of Etchmiadzin

Located in the southeast section of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Treasury Museum showcases sacred relics and religious art, including the Holy Lance and a fragment of Noah’s Ark.

Planning your visit

Armenia adopted Christianity as its state religion in 301, the first country to do so, and Etchmiadzin is the seat of its church — the Mother See, with a cathedral founded in the fourth century on a site where Gregory the Illuminator is said to have had a vision of Christ striking the ground.

The Treasury Museum holds relics of the first order for Armenian Christianity: the Holy Lance, the spear said to have pierced Christ's side, in an elaborate reliquary; a fragment of wood said to be from Noah's Ark, brought from Ararat, which stands within sight of the monastery; and relics of apostles.

Around them sit illuminated manuscripts, liturgical vestments, croziers, crosses and silverwork spanning centuries, much of it donated by Armenian communities across the diaspora.

The complex is UNESCO-listed, along with the ruined seventh-century Zvartnots cathedral nearby.

Bookable options include private tours covering the treasury and Zvartnots. Current availability is shown below.