Iran Press/Iran news: Qara Kelisa, also known as the St. Thaddeus Church, in Chaldoran County, northwestern Iran is one of the oldest and most notable Christian monuments of Iran that carries great significance for the country's Armenian Orthodox community.
More than 3,000 Armenians from Iran and other parts of the world, attending Badarak religious ceremony in Chaldoran this year on Saturday 27 July 2019, Iran Press reported.
Armenians say Qara Kelisa is the world's first church and was constructed in 68 BC by one of the apostles of Jesus, Saint Thaddeus, who travelled to Armenia, then part of the Persian Empire, to preach the teachings of Christ.
The church is composed of two parts: a black structure, the original building of the church from which it takes its name and a white structure, the main church, which was added to the original building's western wing in 1810 CE.
An ancient chapel two kilometers northwest of the church is said to have been the place where the first Christian woman, Sandokh, was martyred. The chapel is believed to be as old as Qara Kelisa.
The structure was inscribed along with two other monastic ensembles of the Armenian Christian faith namely St. Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzor. 101/211/205
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