Armenia is a small country with a population of about three million. Located in the Caucasus. The Republic of Armenia was founded in the 4th-2nd centuries BC, it is rich in its traditions, history, culture and religious views.
The religion of Armenia is very diverse. It includes Christianity, Islam, Yezidism and Frangians. Most residents of Armenia are believers. It is believed that Christianity is the most common religion.
Christianity in Armenia
About 94% of the total population preach Christianity and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. This church is one of the oldest in the world. Few people know that Armenia is the first Christian state in the world: in 301, faith in the King of Heaven and his son Christ became the state religion of the country. The first preachers here are Bartholomew and Thaddeus.
In 404, the Armenian alphabet was created, and in the same year the Bible was translated into Armenian, and in 506 the Armenian Church was officially separated from the Byzantine, which significantly influenced the further history of the state, its political and social activities.
Catholicism in Armenia
But Christianity is not the only religion whose adherents live in Armenia. There are communities of the Armenian Catholic Church (there are about 36 parishes in total), which are called "Franks". Franks (or Frangians) live in Northern Armenia. Initially, they appeared along with the crusaders, but later, in the 16-19 centuries, they began to call the Franco-Armenians. Franks are divided into three groups:
- gbo francs, - Has Francs
- mscheti francs.
The separation of Catholics is not connected with the peculiarities of religious views, it is connected with the place of residence of adherents of this faith.
Islam in Armenia
There are also followers of Islam living in Armenia, although it should be noted that mainly Kurds, Azerbaijanis and Persians practice this religion. In the capital - Yerevan - the famous Blue Mosque is located. It was built in 1766 and at the beginning of the 20th century was one of the seven active mosques of the capital. This beautiful building is not only religious in nature. It is also a symbol of interfaith friendship.
