Saint Mary Church of New Julfa (, ) is a historical

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

church in Isfahan,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, completed in 1613.

History

In the 17th century the

Armenian people Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...

of New Julfa built a small church named Surp Hakop Church. Surp Hakop Church is the oldest surviving church of

New Julfa New Julfa ( fa, نو جلفا – ''Now Jolfā'', – ''Jolfâ-ye Now''; hy, Նոր Ջուղա – ''Nor Jugha'') is the Armenian quarter of Isfahan, Iran, located along the south bank of the Zayande River. Established and named after the ol ...

. It was built strictly for the religious needs of the people and did not have any kind of decorations. However, as the Armenian population in New Julfa increased, the church became insubstantial. Hence, Khoja Avedik, a wealthy silk merchant, went to the church and decided to expand the church when he could not attend a religious ceremony because the church was full. He decorated the church with lights, silver and gold chandeliers, and valuable canvases and

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

s. He rebuilt the entire church using his own personal funds and named it St. Mary church. Khoja Avedik was then buried in the church after his death. Two large

s painted by European artists have been bought by an Armenian businessman and have been donated to the church.

Architecture

The plan of the east-west rectangular church is of the type of domed halls in

Armenian architecture Armenian architecture comprises architectural works with an aesthetic or historical connection to the Armenian people. It is difficult to situate this architectural style within precise geographical or chronological limits, but many of its monume ...

. The building has several small arched domes, but its main dome, which has four skylights; is located in the middle of the building and is fixed on arches that rest on wide columns attached to the north and south walls. These columns divide the interior of the church into three interconnected sections. In the eastern part of the building is the altar of the church and on both sides there are two rectangular chambers. The materials used in the building are clay and brick. The interior walls of the building are covered with plaster, and on them are paintings with themes from the Bible. The area around the church, except for its eastern side, has a portico with twenty stone-carved columns. Arches connect all these columns. The outer surface of the arches is decorated with glazed tiles in different colors, which adds to the beauty of the exterior of the church. There are various buildings in the churchyard. In 1848, the bell tower was built in the western part of the church and above its entrance.. Adjacent to the south side of the building is a small

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

called Stepanos. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is located near and inside the courtyard of this church. St. Mary Church A Church with Gothic Architecture
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Gallery

St. Mary Church, Isfahan 1.jpg, ٍٍ Entrance facade St. Mary Church, Isfahan 2.jpg, Entrance to the church

References

External links

Interior photoExterior photo
{{Armenian churches and monasteries Churches in Isfahan Armenian Apostolic churches in Iran Architecture in Iran 1610s establishments in Iran Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 17th century 17th-century churches in Iran

History

Architecture

Gallery

See also

References

External links