John the Baptist Church

St. John the Baptist Church is a present church in the old terretory of Kond, Yerevan. First, it was constructed on the height of Kond district in 1710, to replace a medieval church ruined because of a destructive earthquake. It was constricted by Melik Aghamal, living in Yerevan. Like the other medieval churches, this is a three-nave basilic church. The rectangular plan of the church consists of the prayer-hall and the main altar on the eastern side, to which the sacristies are conncted.

History

Concerning about the unattractive apearance of the church, in 1979, architect Rafayel Israyelian presented to Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen I a project of basic reconstruction of the church. The project was improved, but unfortunately, the architect died the same year. Ten years later the author’s son, architect Areg Israyelian turned his father’s project into a technical plan, which was allowed to realize. The work project was prepared by the famous architect Baghdasar Arzoumanian and designing engineer Avetik Tekevejian. In 1980s the Church was entirely reconstructed and renovated under the direct control of the civil engineer Mikayel Hovhannissian. The dome and the walls of the church were covered with tuf stone. In the western side an additional storey was built for the choir, the floor was paved with marble, the wall of the main altar was ornamented, the interior was renovated.