Get to know 5 historical churches in Iran

Iran has long played host to followers of various religions with historical churches bearing a solid witness to such diversity of faiths practiced in the country.

Here is a list of 5 historical churches in different parts of Iran.

 1. Monastery of Saint Thaddeus 

The Monastery of Saint Thaddeus is an ancient Armenian monastery in the mountainous area of West Azarbaijan Province, Iran. It is believed to be one of the oldest church buildings in the world.

2. Monastery of Saint Stepanos

The Saint Stepanos Monastery, also known in Armenian as Maghardavank, is an Armenian monastery located in the province of East Azarbaijan, Iran. 

3. Chapel of Dzordzor

Chapel of Dzordzor, is part of an Armenian monastery located in Maku County, West Azarbaijan Province, Iran.

4. Vank church

The Holy Savior Cathedral, also known as the Church of the Saintly Sisters, is a cathedral located in Isfahan Province, Iran. It is commonly referred to as the Vank.

5. Chapel of Chupan

The Chapel of Chupan is a small, historic Armenian church building in a mountain valley west of Jolfa near the Aras River in East Azarbaijan Province.

All these places of worship for Iranian Armenians were built many centuries ago. The first three on the above list and Chapel of Chupan are known as monastic ensembles of the Armenian Christian faith and have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. 

AG/AG