community
Ashtishat
near Muş (Taron), Turkey · Armenia & Georgia
38.943, 41.434
Approximate location.
Tradition. The 'mother church' claim and Gregory's founding are tradition. The council of Ashtishat under Nerses is reported by Faustus of Byzantium (5th century).
Ashtishat
near Muş (Taron)
Ashtishat in Taron was a major pagan temple center that Gregory the Illuminator is said to have turned into the first great church of Armenia, held for generations by his descendants. Early Armenian councils, including one under Catholicos Nerses the Great in the mid-4th century, met here.
Source stance: insider. Armenian histories (Agathangelos, Faustus).
People and groups named here
- Gregory the Illuminator
- Nerses I the Great
Sources
- Pleiades place 874369: Ashtishat
Pleiades Gazetteer (ISAW, NYU). Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Armenia
Catholic Encyclopedia (1907-1912), public domain; New Advent. Accessed 2026-11-11.
Further reading
Councils here
None in this list.