The Armenian Community of New Joulfa at Esfahan

Iranian-Armenians, sometimes called Persian-Armenians, are Iranian citizens of Armenian origin. Their number is about 100,000. They mostly live in Tehran and Jolfa district, Isfahan. The Iranian-Armenians were very influential and active in the modernization of Iran during the 19th and 20th centuries.After the Iranian Revolution, many Armenians immigrated to Armenian diasporas communities in North America and Western Europe.

Today the Armenians are Iran's largest Christian religious minority. Although Armenians have a long history of interaction with Persia/Iran, Iran's Armenian community emerged when Shah Abbas relocated tens of thousands of Armenians from Nakhichevan to an area of Isfahan called New Julfa in the early 17th century, which was created to become an Armenian quarter. The community became active in the cultural and economic development of Iran.In addition to having their own churches and clubs, Armenians of Iran are one of the few linguistic minorities in Iran with their own schools

Dome of Holy Mother of God church

The Armenian Community of New Joulfa at Esfahan

In the 1660s New Julfa had 24 churches that belonged to the Armenian Apostolic Church, as well as a few other missionary houses and chapels. Today 13 Apostolic churches are still standing. The most important are All Savior’s Cathedral (also known as Vank Cathedral), and the churches of the Holy Mother of God, St. George, and St. Bethlehem.

The Church of the Holy Mother of God, built in 1613. Its sumptuous interior decoration combines frescoes, stucco reliefs, and tiles with oil paintings on canvas imported from Venice.

The Church of Bethlehem was built in 1628

The Church of Bethlehem has Christian icons over Islamic tiles Internet image

In Iran the knockers have different designs. For women the design is one of flowing curves The knockers make a different sound when knocked, alerting whoever is inside the gender of the person at the door.

Wall paintings became an accepted element of the interior of Armenian churches and were also widely used for the decoration of secular structures, such as private residences. Unfortunately, in recent decades many important houses were significantly altered, or even demolished, before their frescoes could be investigated, and many wall paintings are now irrevocably lost.

Prior to the third century A.D., Iran had more influence on Armenia's culture than any of its other neighbours. Intermarriage among the Iranian and Armenian nobility was common. The two peoples shared many religious, political, and linguistic elements and traditions and, at one time, even shared the same dynasty. Sasanian policies and the Armenian conversion to Christianity, in the fourth century, however, alienated the Armenians from Zoroastrian Iran and oriented them toward the West.

Holy Savior Cathedral, also known as Vank Cathedral, was one of the first churches to be established in the city's Jolfa district by Armenian immigrants settled by Shah Abbas I after the Ottoman War of 1603-1605.

In front of the Vank Cathedral the statue of Archbishop Khachatout Kesaratsi, (first typography in Iran, 1636) The Vank printing house is known as the first of its kind in Iran and the Middle East. The first book published at Vank was about the lives of Armenian priests and monks, a few prints of which are now kept at the Vank museum.

Armenian Genocide Memorial at the Vank Cathedral in Isfahan

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the interior of the New Julfa churches was decorated with bands of polychrome tiles. This Iranian technique of glazed relief tiles is known as haft rangi (lit. “of seven colors”).

Archbishop Khachatout Kesaratsi (1590 – 1646)He established the first publishing house in Persia (Iran) and Middle East in 1636 and printed the first book in Persia: Saghmosaran (the Psalter in Armenian). The first Persian book in Persia was published 192 years later in 1830.

Archbishop Khachatout Kesaratsi (1590 – 1646)

Saint Mesrop Mashtots (361-441) - inventor of the Armenian alphabet

Sound: Djivan Gasparyan - Armenian duduk, prayer

Iran

Text: Internet

Pictures: Sanda Foişoreanu

Nicoleta Leu

Arangement: Sanda Foişoreanu

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