It is located on a small natural[7] elevation on the eastern outskirts of the town of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), right next to the main road connecting it with capital Yerevan.

After Tiridates's conversion to Christianity in the early fourth century (dated 301 or 314 AD), the king and Gregory the Illuminator built a martyrium at the location of her martyrdom as an act of remorse.

[10] Excavations inside the church during restoration works in 1958–59 unearthed black tuff fragments of an ornamented cornice under the supporting columns.

[13][16][d] The original martyrium was destroyed by Sasanian king Shapur II and his Armenian Zoroastrian ally Meruzhan Artsruni c. 363,[17] along with Etchmiadzin Cathedral and other Christian sites.

[57] Arakel of Tabriz, a contemporary, recounted the state of the church in the early 17th century and provided details of its restoration (along with St. Gayane) by Catholicos Pilipos (r. 1633–1655).

[64] Arakel recounts that it had no doors, no altar, the roof and walls had crumbled, and the foundations were shaken and dug up, while the interior was full of manure as livestock were driven into the church.

"[65][20][m] This restoration encompassed the pediments, the roof of the dome, and saw the construction of a porch/portico or an open narthex (gavit) in front of the western entrance (upon which a bell tower was added in 1790).

[78] Catholicos Simeon I of Yerevan (r. 1763–1780) raised a new cross on its dome in 1765,[24] and fortified the monastery in 1776 with a cob perimeter wall with corner towers, along with an arched entrance built in stone from the northern side.

[51][83][10] In 1936, during the Soviet period, the church's foundations were reinforced and its roof, dome, the monastery walls and buildings were restored and the surrounding area underwent beautification.

[84] The restoration works were overseen by Mikayel Mazmanyan, Varazdat Harutyunyan, Rafayel Israyelyan, Konstantine Hovhannisyan, Karo Ghafadaryan.

[85] Initially, the area was beautified with the church's immediate surrounding paved with tuff blocks and a decorated drinking fountain designed by Israyelian built in the yard.

A new altar table and chandelier was designed by Rafayel Israyelian, with the former containing an altarpiece of the Virgin Mary by Hovhannes Minasyan.

[90] A 2024 study found that the church has large cracks inside and deterioration caused by previous earthquakes and water leakage.

[95] During restoration works in 1958–59, two graves were found outside the western entrance, where, according to historical accounts, two Catholicoi had been buried: Astvatsatur (r. 1715–1725) and Karapet II (r. 1726–1729).

"[32] Trachtenberg suggests that despite its small scale, St. Hripsime achieves "a compact and powerful style inside and out, exterior massing and internal volumes appearing as if carved from one massive masonry block.

[64] The dimensions and positions of windows, doors, apses, and niches vary throughout the church, which can be explained by successive building phases.

On the exterior, decoration is primarily limited to sculpted moldings[32] (carved arched friezes) over the windows,[109][4] stylized with floral and geometric motifs.

[111][64] Additionally, decorative rays radiating from the center of the cupola and the band of concentric circles at the base also suggest a seventh century dating, as such are found in other contemporary churches of Talin and Mastara.

[64] The technique of stone processing, color, dimensions, row heights, also corresponded to the other parts of the church, "leaving no doubt" about later transformations.

[36] David Marshall Lang argued that the Armenian contribution was "in transmitting the crude and perishable mud brick prototypes [as seen in Iran] into perfectly chiselled, durable and scientifically assembled masonry, which would not crumble away, but would stand the test of time.

"[112] Maranci argued that comparisons between the squinches at Hripsime and in Iran (Sarvistan and Firuzabad) provides only "a very crude resemblance, and certainly does not offer a direct source."

She instead suggested that the churches of Cappadocia, namely Kizil Kilise, can provide stronger and more meaningful comparisons with structural and decorative similarities.

"[108] Soviet art historians Stepanian and Chakmakchian described it as a "profoundly innovative" work of architecture, where the qualities of plastic thinking are vividly expressed.

Its form embodies exceptional power and monumental simplicity, with the aim of pure, absolute expression remaining clear and uncompromised.

"[110] Trachtenberg argued that its plan "ultimately depends" on "antique and Byzantine polygonal designs", although a "quite different effect is obtained."

[107] Antony Eastmond describes their forms as "sophisticated plays on geometry and spatial volumes that sought to reconcile the circularity of a central dome within a rectilinear ground plan.

"[126] Eastmond argues that these two, along with the church of Avan, suggests that their overlap are "variants on a common theme, whose 'original' form cannot singly be assigned to either Georgia or Armenia.

"[127] The question of precedence of St. Hripsime and Jvari has been frequently debated by Georgian and Armenian scholars, but "the process of mutual influence and interchange was too complex to be explained by the 'export' and 'import' of ready plans and architectural forms.

In the tenth and eleventh centuries, the Cathedral of Aghtamar[129][130] and the main church (Astvatsatsin) at Varagavank were based on its ground plan.

[144] Joint councils consisting of the Ministry of Culture and the Armenian Apostolic Church are responsible for regulating its conservation, rehabilitation, and usage.