Diehl praises the incredible services which Strzygowski has rendered in history of art and affirms that Strzygowski revealed to the world "that these buildings, created with several forms and styles, are proof of an incredible flourishing of art in Armenia during those times". One should acknowledge the importance of Strzygowski's contribution, and recognise the part which Armenia has had in the creation of the history of Christian art 99; and according to him that is the true value of Strzygowski's work. Further on, he writes: "To what extent Byzantine is in debt to this great artistic force can not be described entirely." Nevertheless, Diehl maintains, contrary to Strzygowski, that the different creating forces of Christian art in the east converged in Constantinople and for this reason, according to him, Byzantine should still be given the credit for being the cradle of Christian art in east.
Finally, another important art-historian, Henri Focillon, judges the importance and the soundness of Strzygowski's scripts thus: "The Armenian art of architecture awakened the insatiable curiosity of Strzygowski, and it is evident how much this scientist values its role in the creation of new architectural forms before and during the Middle Ages. This scientist who, having studied Armenian architecture as a Byzantine provincial art for a long time, finally arrived at the conclusion that, even if this were not the real creating force of that art, it was still an important school with an enormous force radiating from it. We do see these great creators and architects not only in Constantinople, but further away and during much older times in countries such as Dniester and Sereth." 102
Among the masterpieces in Armenian religious architecture from the 5th to the 7th centuries, of which some are standing and others are in ruins, first and foremost is the great church of the Holy See of Etchmiadzin, which was completed by the end of the 5th century, but was repaired and modified at the end of the 7th century. Among the churches built during the 6th century we can mention those in Ashtarak, Avan and Eghivard. 7th century churches include St Grigor in Dvin, St Hripsime and St Gayane in Vagharshapat (present-day Etchmiadzin), the church on the top of Ani, the churches in Mzkhet, the churches in Bagaran and Alaman, the church of St Grigor in Zvartnots and the great churches in Talish and Talin.
The Catholicoses who succeeded each other as the head of the Armenian Church became the sources of power and organising forces behind the building of these churches. Deserving special mention among is Catholicos Nerses III, to whom the Armenian people gave the title "shinogh" (creator).
These enormous buildings, which even today remain scattered over the entire Armenian highland, stand witness to the important role that the Armenian people has had in the development of the artistic world, a role without which our world would be more the poorer and in complete.
They are also proof that, just as Armenia has some-times been the representative of western culture in Asia, has also often been the channel through which oriental culture is introduced into the west. 117
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