Talin Cathedral

Talin Cathedral is an impressive example of 7th-century Armenian architecture in the town of Talin, Aragatsotn Province. It is considered one of the largest churches of that period in the country. The cathedral is a three-nave domed basilica (cross-domed in plan), and its construction is attributed to the princely Kamsarakan family in the second half of the 7th century. The building is made of smoothly dressed tuff of two colours, black and red.

The cathedral is half-ruined, and its central dome has partly collapsed; it was badly damaged in the earthquakes of 1840 and 1931. Inside, fragments of frescoes depicting the Mother of God, Jesus Christ and saints have survived.

The photograph shows the cathedral with its tall drum and arcaded walls, in a dry field at the foot of a hill.