The shield itself consists of many components. In the center is a depiction of the Mount Ararat with Noah's Ark sitting atop it. According to tradition, the ark is said to have finally rested on the mountain after the great flood. Ararat is considered the national symbol of Armenia and thus is of principal importance to the coat of arms. Surrounding Mount Ararat are symbols of old Armenian dynasties. In the lower left portion of the shield, there are two eagles looking at each other, symbolizing the length of the Armenian territory during the reign of the Artaxiad Dynasty that ruled from the second century B.C. to the beginning of the Christian era. In the upper left portion, there is a lion with a cross, the emblem for the Bagratuni Dynasty that ruled during the Middle Ages, between the 9th and 11th centuries. Under this dynasty, Armenia blossomed culturally, making its capital, Ani, one of the most important cultural, social and commercial centers of its time. The Bagratuni kingdom was destroyed by the Byzantine Empire's encroachment and by Seljuk conquests in the 11th century. In the upper right portion, there is a two-headed eagle, the emblem of the first dynasty to reign over Christian Armenia, the Arsacid Dynasty, which ruled from the first century to 428. Tiridates III made Armenia the first country to adopt Christianism as official religion in 301. In the lower right portion, there is a lion with a cross, the emblem of the Rubenid dynasty. This dynasty reigned in the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, a state that expanded and prospered during the 12th and 13th centuries, until the Mamelukes eventually conquered it in 1375.