The basilica of Yererouk is one of the earliest well-preserved Christian structures in the territory of modern Armenia. It is located forty kilometers to the southwest of Gumri, on the left bank of the Akhourian River. In the soviet times, due to the close proximity of its state border with Turkey, the area in which the basilica is located was in a restricted zone. It was necessary to acquire a special pass, in order to obtain access to the area for any given purpose. Records indicate that Yererouk (in Armenian, literally translated as "shaking") was not serving as a place of worship since the late middle ages and that it was standing without a roof for several centuries. During this period of time, the structure, though mainly preserved, gradually deteriorated due to vandalism and natural causes, particularly earthquakes. It was first partialy retrofitted by Nicolas Marr during his excavation on the site of basilica in 1908, at the turn of the twentieth century. In 1988 the basilica was again damaged by the Great Armenian Earthquake of 1988. Some temporary bracing was performed as a result of efforts by the World Monuments Fund and the State Commission for the Protection of Historical Monuments of Armenia also sponsored by Myron Erkaletian and Vitali Gevorkian. The project for full restoration is now completed, but the sponsorship for construction is yet to come about.