According to Armenian historians, a community of 300 virgins, under the Leadership of abbess Kayane, lived in the monastery of St. Paul in Rome. Hripsime, a virgin of noble birth, grew up at the abbey. She was known to be extremely beautiful, and attracted the notice of Roman emperor Diocletian. To avoid his advances, Hripsime fled the city along with Kayane and 70 other virgins going to Armenian and settling in the vineyards of the capital Vagharshapat.
It is told that the Roman Emperor asked King Tiridates of Armenia to find Hripsmie and return her to him. However, the king upon finding the virgins, he himself fell under the charms of Hripmsime and wanted to take her as his wife. However, the virgins refused. Eventually, the king ordered the torture of Kayane, Hripsmie and 32 other virgins whose bodies were severely mutilated before being beheaded.
The legend states that the King was punished by God and became demoniac, and had to order the release of Gregory the Illuminator from Khor Virab to heal him.
Later, Kayane was made a saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and a church was erected in her name (The Church of Saint Gayane) next to the Etchmiadzin Cathedral.
The Kayane Chapter was established in 1977 to serve the region of Bayt Al Koko.
It operates at the Aghpalian Sport-Cultural Complex under the umbrella of ARF “Hrayr Maroukhian” Committee.
