Historic churches; What Iran is known for

Iran Press/ Iran News: It was in the Parthian era that Christianity and the call to this religion were formed in Iran and some converted. Little by little, the shrines of the followers of this religion sprang up around Iran, each one built in a different way.

Christmas celebration in Vank Church, Isfahan

 

 The churches, as a symbol of the Christian world, were beautifully adorned and displayed unmatched architectural features. Today, there are nearly 600 churches in Iran, 90 of which are listed among the National Monuments list and 3 are recognized as World Heritage.

 

Qara Kelisa Church, Chaldoran

The Church of St. Thaddeus, or Qara Kelisa, is a black and white stone building that is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the most remarkable religious sites in Christianity. According to the Armenians, the Church of St. Thaddeus is the first church built by the preachers and apostles of Christ in the world and is recognized as the first Christian Church in the world. The church is named after one of the apostles of Jesus Christ who came to a city called Ardaz in northwestern Iran in order to preach this religion in the year 40 or 43.

 

Vank Cathedral; The Holy Savior

The Vank Church is one of the most beautiful and largest churches in the Jolfa vicinity of Esfahan. Its gilded ceiling, interior section of the dome, and fine historical paintings are matchless. Internally, the walls are adorned with oil paintings that are also gilded similar to that of Iranian art. Religious paintings revealing an Italian touch can be observed here. The founder of this structure was Shah Soltan Hossain Safavid.

Unlike most other Armenian churches which are built with stones, Vank is made of bricks as its main material. The dome of the Armenian churches is mainly cone-shaped, but the Vank church dome is similar to the dome of the Iranian mosques of the Safavid era. Gold and gilding techniques in this church are much different from other churches.

 

Related article: Religious diversity; What Iran is known for

 

All the walls and interior of the church are adorned with paintings in the theme of the Old Testament and murals depicting birth to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Day of Judgment, Paradise, and Hell. These works were created by Armenian painters named Khalifa Hwanez Mercos, Pastor Stepanos and Professor Minas.

 

Actually, the most important feature of this church, which has made it one of the most beautiful churches in Iran, is these murals. All the walls, arches, inside the dome, and all parts of the church were painted with oil paintings and used Armenian and “Tazhib” Islamic style decoration. There have also been gildings in the church that have really given it a striking beauty.

 

Cantor Church, Qazvin 

This church, locally known as the bell tower, has a cruciform design with a large dome in the center of the sanctuary and a smaller dome at the top of the east-facing altar. The entrance of the church is located on the western side and includes the entrance space with a pitched roof at the gate. After the entrance, there is an anteroom above which a three-story bell tower is erected about eleven meters high with a small dome above it. The Russian crosses, which hang only on the two sides of the entrance walls, indicate the nationality of its creators.

 

St. Stephanus, Julfa 

Saint Stepanos Monastery Church is the second most important Armenian Church in Iran after its importance and is listed on the World Heritage List. The church was built in the ninth century AD but was severely damaged by an earthquake and was restored during the Safavid era. Stephen (St. Stephanus) is one of the first martyrs of the Christian faith and is one of the apostles of Christ and the first preachers of Christianity and there are many churches around the world with the same name.  St Stephanus Church is located in a mountainous area, 16 km west of Jolfa in East Azerbaijan Province.

 

Saint Mary Church, Tabriz

This church is at least 500 years old, so it is not surprising that Tabriz Christians have chosen this place for their important celebrations and gatherings. Here is the largest and oldest church in Tabriz where the Armenians of Tabriz hold the National Religious Ceremony of the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to the oldest tombstone in the church, it can be assured that the church dates back to at least the 16th Century AD, the Safavid period.

 

But on the other hand, the architecture of the church portal is similar to that of the Ilkhanid period, giving the idea of an even earlier construction date. Apart from the architecture of the Ilkhanid period, there is another clue in Marco Polo's travelogue that mentions a church in Tabriz on his journey to China.

 

Saint Sarkis Cathedral

Located in the central part of Tehran, this cathedral is an Armenian Apostolic church that was completed in 1970. The exterior part of this cathedral has been made of white marble and the interior walls are covered with paintings with biblical themes.

 

It is considered to be the largest church of Tehran and there is an Armenian Genocide memorial in the courtyard of the building in remembrance of the Ottoman government’s systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians between 1914 to 1923.

By Ashkan Salehian