The Armenian churches are located in the North-West of Iran and in Azerbaijan. It consists of three churches according to the Armenian Christian principles as Qarreh-Kelisa or Saint-Tadeous, Saint-Stepanous and the small church of Zurzur which are registered in the UNESCO world heritage in 2008.
Qarreh-Kelisa or Saint-Tadeous is the oldest cathedral that goes back to the 7th century A.D. which is a brilliant sample of the world Christian architecture and decoration. They are the evidence of the important cultural assimilation such as Bizans, Orthodox and Iranian culture. In addition, these churches are the evidence of Armenian traditions during centuries as the religious events. Qarreh-Kelisa or the holly Tadeous (Tatavous) church is the name of a historical church in the West-Azerbaijan province. The church is located in the south of Maaku, 20 km away in the North-East of Chaldoran, near a village with the same name, at E44,32.618 & N39,5.507 and 1870 m above the sea level. Qarreh-Kelisa is the tomb of Tataous who was one of the Apostles of Jesus. He was killed in 66 A.D. because of the spreading the Christianity. His tomb is in the Qarreh-Kelisa and is known as one of the important holly places for Armenians.
Saint-Stepanous or the holly Stepanous church is the second important church for Iranian Christians after Qarreh-Kelisa. The monument is located in the East-Azerbaijan province, 17 Km away in the West of Jolfa and 3 Km away in the South corner of the Aras River in the area called Qezel-Vank. The church was built in the 9th century A.D. but damaged by an earthquake and reconstructed during Safavieh dynasty.
Zurzur church is located in Chaldoran near Baroun village. This cross shaped church looks like a small praying room and has cultural and historical importance and has been registered on the Iranian national list and the International heritage list in the UNESCO too. Baroun village is registered in the UNESCO separately. After building the Baroun dam, the church was completely transported 600 m away on a higher place.
It is recommended to visit these cultural and historical attractions on your trip to the North-West of Iran.
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