About the city and the twinning
About Vagharshapat
Vagharshapat, also known as Echmiatsin, is a historic city in Armenia and the spiritual centre of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is home to the Mother See of Holy Echmiatsin and to Echmiatsin Cathedral. The cathedral, the churches of Saint Hripsime, Saint Gayane and Saint Shoghakat, and the nearby archaeological site of Zvartnots form a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2000. These monuments illustrate the development of Armenian church architecture and the influence of its distinctive central-domed designs.
Twinning with Bethlehem
The Mayor of Bethlehem, Ms. Hanna Hanania, and the Mayor of Vagharshapat, Ms. Diana Gasparyan, signed a twinning agreement to strengthen friendly ties between the two cities and develop cooperation in various fields, including education, health, sports, and healthcare. This took place during a visit by a Bethlehem delegation to Armenia, which included Mayor Hanania and members of the municipal council, Mr. Daoud Salahat and Mr. Hisham Al-Kamel.
The agreement will allow visitors to access the city's academic institutions, museums, and numerous cultural sites. A "friendship tree" was also planted, a symbolic gesture of Mayor Hanania's practice of planting trees of friendship whenever a twinning agreement is signed outside of Bethlehem. This symbolizes the cultivation of peace worldwide, particularly in the Palestinian context, and underscores the deep-rooted harmony between the two peoples.
In her remarks, Ms. Hanania addressed the challenges facing the city and the Palestinian people as a result of the practices and restrictions of the occupation. She emphasized the international community's responsibility to address the aggression against the Palestinian people and the atrocities committed against them by the brutal occupation.
He then took into account that the two cities share many commonalities, the most important of which are their printing and historical significance.