Archaeologists discovered a fourth-century Christian church in Armenia, considered the country’s oldest. Armenia is believed to be the first Christian state in the world after King Tiridates III converted to Christianity.

Archaeologists have uncovered the oldest known Christian church in Armenia. Shaped like an octagon with cross-shaped extensions, the structure’s foundations are more than 1,600 years old, also making it one of the earliest known Christian churches in the world.

CBS News reports that traces of an early Christian church have been uncovered in Armenia, at the site of the ancient city of Artaxata, by a team of German and Armenian researchers. “The building, which dates back to the fourth century,

Archaeologists have made an exciting discovery in Armenia. A joint team from the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the University of Münster in Germany has uncovered the remains of an early Christian church in the ancient city of Artaxata.