The Armenian Apostolic Church honors today the memory of St. Vahan of Goghten.
Vahan of Goghten was the son of Prince Khosrov, the governor of the province of Goghten. In childhood, together with many other Armenian princes, he was captivated by the Arabs and was taken to Damask, where is circumcised and renamed Vahab, Qahana.am says.
Vahan was a very clever and skilled young man. Receiving proper education he undertook various responsibilities in the royal court. Even though he was brought up and educated in Arabic environment, Vahan knew about his ancestors. He hadn’t forgotten that he had been Christian and came from a noble family.
In 719 AD The Armenian Pontiff Hovhannes of Odzoun paid a visit to the governor of Damask, and upon his request the governor allowed the captives to return to their homeland. Taking the opportunity Vahan also expressed wish to visit his homeland and was allowed on condition of returning. Reaching Armenia, Vahan became aware of the governor’s death and took a decision to remain in his homeland. He married the daughter of the Prince Babken, the governor of Syuunik province, and lived there. However, the new governor of Damask began the searches for Vahan. The latter concealing himself, wandered in his homeland, in Georgia, visited many churches and monasteries and finally stopped in the town Resafa, in Syria. Rejecting the governor’s suggestion to change his faith, he was martyred in 737 AD. On the day of the saint’s commemoration a special church hymn is sung, the author of which is his sister Khosrovidukht.
