[8][9] According to Movses Khorenatsi, when Mesrop Mashtots died (c. 440), three locations were considered for his burial place: his native Taron region; Goghtn, where he had begun his missionary work; and Vagharshapat, Armenia's political and religious capital, next to the graves of other saints.

Hrachia Acharian interpreted it literally; he believed Amatuni simply added an altar in a pre-existing chapel.

[14] The modern view is that Vahan Amatuni built a temple, i.e. a martyrium or a chapel on Mashtots' grave.

[17] The 17th century historian Arakel of Tabriz wrote that the roof of the "temple-mausoleum" had entirely collapsed and that only the main altar was still extant.

[17] It was replaced with an Italian marble[25] gravestone in 1962 that reads: Saint Mesrop Mashtots 361–440 (ՍՈՒՐԲ ՄԵՍՐՈՊ ՄԱՇՏՈՑ 361 ✝ 440).

For its location on the eastern (as opposed to the usual western end) and cylindrical design, it is a rare example in Armenian architecture.

[8][1] On October 13, 1912, Catholicos Gevorg V, other religious figures and common people traveled from Vagharshapat to Oshakan in a ceremonial procession as part of the celebrations of the 1,500 anniversary of the Armenian alphabet.

[27] The church underwent extensive renovation in the 1960s, during the reign of Catholicos Vazgen I, through the financial support of Hayk and Torgom Ghazarosian brothers of Milan, Italy,[28][8][29] originally from Yerznka (Erzincan).

[24] The building was renovated in 1996-97 through the financial support of Djivan Koboyan, an Armenian American philanthropist,[8] and was reopened on October 18, 1998.

[37] Rafael Atoyan depicted Armenia's national poet, Hovhannes Tumanyan, at the entrance of the church in a 1969 painting.

[38] The 20th century Armenian writer Sero Khanzadyan called the church and Kanaker, the birthplace of Khachatur Abovian (1809–48), as Armenia's two holy sites.