Khor Virap: a prison turned shrine. Vlog from Armenia

Khor Virap is central to Armenia adopting Christianity as the state religion. For almost two millennia, it was a prison that kept serious offenders. The prisoners were thrown into deep pits and forgotten forever. That is how the monastery got its name – Khor Virap, meaning ‘deep pit’. Here Gregory the Illuminator spent 13 years in captivity.

Why was he thrown into prison and later released? How did he convince Tsar Trdat to convert to Christianity? Let’s find out.

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