Ancient Dvin

Dvin was one of the great capitals of medieval Armenia, founded in the 4th century by King Khosrov Kotak around 335. For centuries it served as the residence of Armenian kings and the seat of the Catholicos, the head of the Armenian Church, while growing into a major center of crafts and international trade. At its height it was among the largest cities of the region, before successive earthquakes and the Mongol invasions reduced it to ruins. Today excavations on the hill near Hnaberd reveal the cathedral foundations, the palace, fortifications and a central square—layers of a thousand years of urban life on the Ararat plain.