 The murals are one of the best representations of Byzantine art outside the traditional borders of Byzantium . The majority of the murals bear scriptures in Greek . The murals were painted under the patronage of atabek Ivane Zakarian between 1205 and 1216 . Parallels have been drawn between the murals and the 11th century Armenian miniature paintings of the Mugni Gospels . The coloring of the murals is characteristic of typical Byzantine art while the thematic solutions are more Armenian . New and Old Testaments scenes as well as various saints including Saint Gregory the Illuminator are depicted on the murals . A large image of the Holy Virgin is depicted in the dome holding Jesus . The mural has been badly damaged and only parts of it survived . Below the Holy Virgin , the Communion is shown where Jesus is depicted twice , turning on the right and left sharing bread with the Apostles . The images of the Apostles Peter , John the Evangelist , Paul and Matthew have survived . The common Christians saints are depicted below the Communion scene , including Pope Sylvester , Saint James the son of Alpheus , Saint John Chrysostom , Basil the Great , Gregory the Illuminator , Jacob of Mtsbin , Clement of Rome , Gregory the Thaumaturgist , Cyril of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea . The murals on the western wall depict the Kingdom of Heaven . The northern wall depicts the trial of Jesus by the high priest of Caiaphas and by the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate . Some of the murals were renovated in 1979 . The arches , niches and columns are also covered by murals . 
