Construction works on the territory adjacent to St. Mary church in the center of Yerevan are under way.

On April 1, a fragment of the 17th century khachkar attached to a wall and a fragment of a stone fence inside the church were found during the construction works.

Spokeswoman at Ararat’s Patriarchal Eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church Elza Manukyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter the same day that construction works were suspended because of recent archaeological discoveries on the site.

According to Manukyan, the decision was passed by Ararat’s Patriarchal Eparchy and the issue of continuing the construction with the necessity of initiating further archaeological excavations on agenda was under consideration.

However, a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter visited the site of construction works and found out that the works are under way. A rather big territory is excavated and protecting aprons are placed. A small path leading to the church is left from the southern part for people visiting the church.

The construction works are monitored by Deputy Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the RA National Academy of Sciences, archaeologist Gagik Sargsyan. However, he is not always present at the construction site, since there is no need in it, according to him.