Surp Hripsime was originally built in 618, replacing an earlier chapel on the site where Hripsime was slain after she refused to marry King Trdat III, choosing instead to remain true to her faith – she was a pagan who had earlier fled marriage from the Roman emperor Diocletian. In the small chamber in the back of the church, look out for the niche that contains a few of the rocks purportedly used to stone Hripsime to death.
