Saint Hripsime Church, Verishen, Cultural heritage church in Verishen, Armenia

Saint Hripsime Church is a 4th–5th-century Armenian church in Verishen, built of rough-hewn basalt. It is the largest single-nave vaulted hall in Armenia, 27.3 m long, with a prayer hall stretching east–west and ending in a semicircular apse inside and out. Two entrances open on the west and south facades, and five arched niches line the longitudinal walls.

Built in the 4th–5th centuries, the church was restored in the 7th century. An inscription on the door lintel records a renovation in the 17th century. It likely stands on the site of a pagan shrine from the period of Christianization.

The church belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church and stands beside the village administration of Verishen. In its yard are preserved inscribed khachkars and tombstones from the 15th to 17th centuries, and a rare stone monument. A partly damaged sundial survives on the southwest facade.

The church stands in the centre of Verishen, next to the village administration building. The south entrance is now closed, so visitors enter from the west. Look for the small, partly damaged sundial on the south-west facade and the inscribed door lintel recording the 17th-century renovation.

The church preserves a small, partly damaged sundial on its south-western facade. In the churchyard stand carved khachkars and tombstones from the 15th to 17th centuries, along with a rare stone monument. Blocks from an earlier 4th–5th-century structure were reused in the walls.