Editing Yerevan (section)

===Religion===
{{see also|List of churches in Yerevan|Religion in Armenia}}

====Armenian Apostolic Church====
[[File:Saint Peter and Paul Church, Yerevan.jpg|thumb|left|The 5th-century [[Saint Paul and Peter Church, Yerevan|Saint Paul and Peter Church]]]]

[[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Apostolic Christianity]] is the predominant religion in Armenia. The 5th-century [[Saint Paul and Peter Church, Yerevan|Saint Paul and Peter Church]] demolished in November 1930 by the Soviets, was among the earliest churches ever built in Erebuni-Yerevan. Many of the ancient Armenian and medieval churches of the city were destroyed by the Soviets in the 1930s during the [[Great Purge]].

[[File:Surb Hovanes Mkrtich Church, Kond.JPG|thumb|[[Saint John the Baptist Church, Yerevan|Saint John the Baptist Church]], consecrated in 1710]]
[[File:St.Sarqis.jpg|thumb|[[Saint Sarkis Cathedral, Yerevan|Surp Sarkis]] Church, consecrated in 1842]]

The regulating body of the Armenian Church in Yerevan is the [[Araratian Pontifical Diocese]], with the [[Saint Sarkis Cathedral, Yerevan|Surp Sarkis Cathedral]] being the seat of the diocese. It is the largest diocese of the Armenian Church and one of the oldest dioceses in the world, covering the city of Yerevan and the [[Ararat Province]] of Armenia.<ref name="araratian-tem1"/>

Yerevan is currently home to the largest Armenian church in the world, the [[Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, Yerevan|Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator]]. It was consecrated in 2001, during the 1700th anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian Church and the adoption of Christianity as the national religion in Armenia.

As of 2017, Yerevan has 17 active Armenian churches as well as four chapels.

====Russian Orthodox Church====
[[File:Православная церковь в Ереване (2).jpg|thumb|Holy Cross Russian Orthodox Church, consecrated in 2017]]
After the capture of Yerevan by the Russians as a result of the [[Russo-Persian War (1826–1828)|Russo-Persian War of 1826–28]], many [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodox]] churches were built in the city under the orders of the Russian commander General [[Ivan Paskevich]]. The [[Saint Nikolai Cathedral, Yerevan|Saint Nikolai Cathedral]] opened during the second half of the 19th century, was the largest Russian church in the city. The [[Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God]] was opened in 1916 in [[Kanaker-Zeytun District|Kanaker-Zeytun]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Потто|first=Василий Александрович|title=Кавказская война. Том 3. Персидская война 1826–1828 гг.|year=2000|publisher=MintRight Inc|isbn=9785425080998|page=359|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XINah2beLwC&pg=PA359}}</ref>

However, most of the churches were either closed or demolished by the Soviets during the 1930s. The Saint Nikolai Cathedral was entirely destroyed in 1931, while the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God was closed and converted first into a warehouse and later into a club for the military personnel. Religious services resumed in the church in 1991, and in 2004 a cupola and a belfry were added to the building.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mospat.ru/en/2010/03/17/news14638/ |title=Russian Orthodox Church, External Church Relations Official Website:Patriarch Kirill visits a Russian church in Yerevan |publisher=Mospat.ru |date=17 March 2010 |access-date=1 May 2011 |archive-date=24 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624010423/https://mospat.ru/en/2010/03/17/news14638/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Holy Cross Russian Orthodox church took place with the presence of Patriarch [[Kirill I of Moscow]]. The church was eventually consecrated on 7 October 2017, with the presence of Catholicos [[Karekin II]], Russian bishops and the church benefactor [[Ara Abramyan]].

====Other religions====
According to Ivan Chopin, there were eight mosques in Yerevan in the middle of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite book|last=Chopin|first=Jean-Marie|title=Исторический памятник состояния Армянской области в эпоху ея присоединения к Российской Империи|year=1852|publisher=Императорская Академия Наук|page=468|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzIpAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA468}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Bournoutian|first=George A.|title=The khanate of Erevan under Qajar rule, 1795–1828|year=1992|publisher=Mazda Publishers|isbn=9780939214181|page=173|author-link=Jean-Marie Chopin}}</ref> The 18th-century [[Blue Mosque, Yerevan|Blue Mosque of Yerevan]] was restored and reopened in the 1990s, with Iranian funding,<ref>{{cite book|last = Kiesling|first = Brady|title = Rediscovering Armenia, 2nd edition|publisher =Matit|location= Yerevan|year = 2005|page=37 }}</ref> and is currently the only active mosque in Armenia, mainly serving Iranian [[Shia]] visitors.

Yerevan is home to tiny [[Yazidis in Armenia|Yezidi]], [[Molokan]], [[Hetanism|Neopagan]], [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí]] and [[History of the Jews in Armenia|Jewish]] communities, with the Jewish community being represented by the Jewish Council of Armenia. A variety of [[Nontrinitarianism|nontrinitarian]] communities, considered dangerous sects by the Armenian Apostolic Church,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.am/eng/news/72171.html|title=Word of Life is most dangerous sect operating in Armenia – Armenian Apostolic Ch|website=news.am|access-date=3 January 2021|archive-date=23 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623193935/https://news.am/eng/news/72171.html|url-status=live}}</ref> are also found in the city, including [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[Mormons]], [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventists]] and [[Livets Ord|Word of Life]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.religions.am/arm/religions/ |title=Religions in Armenia |access-date=9 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208200407/http://www.religions.am/arm/religions/ |archive-date=8 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>