According to a legend, the Surb Shoghakat Church was built in the area, where one of the virgins, whose name was unknown, was killed, and where a ray of light “fell on a virgin-martyr” (in translation from Armenian “shoghakat” - “շող է կաթել” from "շողակաթ" - means "a ray of light fell").
The medieval Shoghakat church is located in Echmiadzin city of the Armavir region of Armenia, to the west of the Surb Hripsime Church. The construction was erected by Prince Aghamal Shorotetsi in 1694 under the Catholicos Nahapet in the area of a chapel of IV century.
The forms of the construction are typical for buildings of this type of the epoch of the early Middle Ages (VI-VII centuries). The church in its present form has been built of hewn brown tuff and is distinguished by a peculiar architecture known as the "dome hall". The dome resting on an octagonal drum is located rather in the center of the hall than in the center of the structure, like ancient churches of this type.
A vestibule (gavit) adjoins the church from the west. The church has been included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List since 2000.
