Cathedral of Talin, 7th-century cathedral in Talin, Armenia

The Cathedral of Talin is a medieval church in Armenia marked by a dodecagonal drum positioned over its central section. Two prayer rooms sit beside the apse and shape the building's overall layout.

The cathedral was built in the second half of the 7th century, dated by its plan, spatial composition and construction features, since no written or inscribed record of its founding survives. Construction is attributed to the Kamsarakan family. The nearby church of S. Astvatsatsin carries an inscription of Nerseh the patrician proconsul, lord of Shirak and Asharunik, who built it for the intercession of himself, his wife Shushan and son Hrapat.

The interior walls were coated with a thin layer of lime mortar, and fragments of wall paintings survive on it in places. Around the semi-dome of the apse, remnants of frescoes showing portraits of the Apostles remain. These traces are the main surviving decoration of the cathedral's interior.

The building stands on the cemetery grounds of Talin. The Church of S. Astvatsatsin near the complex entrance can help you get your bearings when visiting the site.

Each of the two prayer rooms flanking the apse has a secret passage entrance at second-story level, facing the apse; the small passage allegedly leads to small rooms above. The cathedral's outer dimensions are 17.8 by 34.3 metres, with a prayer hall of 15.80 by 27.0 metres.