Yererouk

Yererouk (Armenian: Երերույքի տաճար, Yereruyk’i tachar), also Yereruyk or Ererouk, is an ancient Armenian church near the village of Anipemza in the Shirak Province of Armenia. Yererouk was built on a plateau near the Akhurian River, which defines the frontier with Turkey, about 5 km southeast of the ancient city of Ani. The basilica is considered one of the ancient examples of Armenian architecture, belonging to the Paleo-Christian epoch (4th–6th century). It was initially started in the 4th century, then was postponed in the 5th century and finally completed in the 6th century. Because the basilica is not mentioned in any historical sources, the dates are hypothetical. However, the most recent studies have analysed the architectural characteristics with stratigraphic tests, the study of the sculptural decoration and epigraphy, the comparation with similar churches in Syria. Because the basilica of Yererouk is one of the earliest surviving Christian monuments in Armenia, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on August 25, 1995, in the Cultural category.