Zvartnots cathedral (Armavir province - Armenia) - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

This Armenian post stamp issued in 2009 depicts ruin of the ancient cathedral of St. George, built between 642-652, in Zvarnots near Etchmiadzin in Armenia. The Cathedral is a second part of "Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots" UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The cathedral, built by Katholikos Nerses III, is believed to have been a three-storey structure but modern artists' impressions of its appearance are inevitably conjuctural. Intended to surpass even nearby Echmiatsin Cathedral by its grandeur, it is usually thought of as having been circular but in reality had 32 equall sides. Decorated by frescoes, it was destroyed by earthquake in 930, to be lost under layers of debris and dirt and even the location was forgotten until its rediscovery in the early 20th century. The Zvarnots cathedral, a unique example of Armenian architecture of the early Christian period, was inscripted into UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.