User:Sawyer777/Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 St. Thaddeus Monastery | |
| Location | Iran |
| Includes | |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iii, vi |
| Reference | 1262 |
| Inscription | 2008 (32nd Session) |
| Area | 129.2819 ha |
| Buffer zone | 655.0122 ha |
  Locations of three primary ensembles | |
The Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Iranian Azerbaijan, a northwestern region of Iran. The site comprises three ensembles of well-preserved Armenian churches that were established between the 7th and 16th centuries AD.
The three primary ensembles are the Saint Thaddeus Monastery, the Saint Stepanos Monastery, and the Chapel of Dzordzor. Also included with the St. Stepanos ensemble are the Chapel of Chupan and the Darashamb Chapel.
St. Thaddeus and St. Stepanos monasteries are both historic centers of Armenian spiritual life in the modern region of Iranian Azerbaijan, and in Iran as a whole.
Location[edit]
The site has a total area of 129 hectares (320 acres).[1] Saint Thaddeus Monastery is about 12 kilometers south of the city of Maku, in West Azerbaijan province.[2] Saint Stepanos Monastery is 17 kilometres west of Jolfa, in East Azerbaijan province. The Dzordzor Chapel is located in the Makuchay river valley, downstream from St. Thaddeus Monastery.[3]
History[edit]
The Armenian people are native to Armenian Highlands, which include part of northwestern Iran—known as Iranian Azerbaijan. Armenia converted to Christianity in the early 4th century AD.[4] Some of the oldest Armenian chapels, monasteries and churches in the world are located within this region of Iran,[5] and the Iranian Azerbaijan region in general is home to the oldest churches in Iran.[6]
The oldest monastery of the listing is St. Thaddeus; according to legend, the Apostle Thaddeus died and was buried at the site in the 1st century AD and Gregory the Illuminator founded the monastery in the 4th century. However, archaeological and historical records for the monastery support a later founding date in the 7th century.
St. Stepanos monastery was also founded in the 7th century; the first church was built in 649 AD, and another church was built in the 10th century. The monastery is named for Saint Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian faith.[7]
Throughout the Middle Ages, the monasteries were repeatedly damaged by various regional conflicts. However, by the 13th and 14th centuries, St. Thaddeus and St. Stepanos monasteries were once again highly influential in the region, especially with regard to Christian missionary work. The bishop of Maku, Zechariah, built a large monastic complex at Dzordzor in 1314. The Dzordzor monastery was expanded from a modest Byzantine-influenced edifice dating from the 10th-12th centuries. In 1319, St. Thaddeus monastery was destroyed by an earthquake and quickly rebuilt by the bishop. During this period, many literary and artistic works were produced at the three monasteries, particularly illuminated manuscripts and paintings.[7]
The monasteries were preserved by the Safavids, but declined in the 16th and 17th centuries, facing the threat of Ottoman conquest. Many Armenians left the region and migrated to central Iran during this period, and the monasteries were abandoned when the Shah Abbas I depopulated the frontier in 1604. They were reoccupied by 1650, and restoration work was undertaken at both St. Stepanos and St. Thaddeus.[7] The monastery of Dzordzor, however, was never reconstructed after being abandoned and today, only the chapel remains.[8]
Through the 18th century, the monasteries were once again at the crossroads of several regional conflicts, and St. Thaddeus was sacked during the Qajar campaign into Georgia. In the early 19th century, the Qajar dynasty protected the Armenian population and funded restoration of Armenian churches. The "White Church" of St. Thaddeus Monastery was built in 1814, and St. Stepanos Monastery was rebuilt entirely between 1819 and 1825.[7]
From 1900-1910, St. Thaddeus became a center for Armenian resistance to the Ottomans. In 1930, the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians was moved to St. Thaddeus in the wake of the establishment of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; it was moved back to Etchmiadzin Cathedral in 1947.[7]
Restoration efforts[edit]
Since 1972, numerous restoration efforts of the properties have been undertaken by the Iranian government and the Armenian diocese. Restoration started with St. Thaddeus monastery in 1972, and a program for restoration of St. Stepanos began in 1974. The Chapel of Dzordzor was restored from 1987-1988. In 2001, the restoration programs were combined to create a single program for the conservation of all the sites.[8]
World Heritage status[edit]
These sites were inscribed on the World Heritage List on 8 July 2008, under UNESCO criteria (ii), (iii), and (vi) for their outstanding value in showcasing Armenian architectural and decorative traditions, for being a major centre for diffusion of Armenian culture in the region, and for being places of pilgrimage of the apostle St. Thaddeus and Saint Stepanos, key figures in Armenian religious traditions. The sites are generally in a good state of preservation.[9]
Architecture[edit]
The architecture of the Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran reflects the historic influences upon the Armenians of Iranian Azerbaijan. The ensembles exhibit a unique blend of traditional Armenian, Persian, Byzantine, and Roman architectural elements.[10]
Saint Thaddeus Monastery ensemble[edit]
The current architecture of St. Thaddeus largely dates back to the 1320s reconstruction, built around earlier constructions from the 7th and 10th centuries.[7] The St. Thaddeus monastery ensemble comprises the main monastery complex and the Sandokht chapel about 2 kilometers southeast. The monastery includes the main "White Church," the "Black Church," and three annex chapels, two of which are in ruins. The White Church and Black Church are connected, forming one building with two conical domes and a large entrance porch supported by four pillars. The exterior artwork consists of cut-stone fascia and relief carvings of different colors, a common feature of Armenian architecture. The ornamentation in the interior is a blend of Armenian and Persian design, reflecting the cultural influences of the region. The monastery complex also contains an interior courtyard, two cemeteries (one public and one monastic), and around forty monastic cells. It is surrounded by a stone defensive wall.[2]
The Sandokht chapel is also part of the Saint Thaddeus ensemble, despite not being associated with the monastery. It has two cemeteries near it, one of which has a sarcophagus.[11]
Saint Stepanos Monastery ensemble[edit]
The Saint Stepanos Monastery ensemble is located near the River Araxes, on the border with Nakhichevan.
Chupan Chapel[edit]
The Chapel of Chupan is on the bank of the Araxes, near Gülüstan, Nakhchivan. It is a small
Darreh Sham Chapel[edit]
The Darreh Sham Chapel, also spelled Darashamb, is
Chapel of Dzordzor[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ UNESCO World Heritage Committee 2008, p. 52.
- ^ a b UNESCO World Heritage Committee 2008, pp. 52–53.
- ^ UNESCO World Heritage Committee 2008, pp. 53–54.
- ^ Encyclopædia Iranica (1986). "Armenia and Iran ii. The Pre-Islamic Period". Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ Iranian Students News Agency staff (7 May 2013). "World's most ancient Armenian Church in Iran". Iranian Students News Agency. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2016 – via Payvand.
- ^ Iran Chamber Society (n.d.). "Iranian Architecture & Monuments: Historical Churches in Iran". Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f UNESCO World Heritage Committee 2008, p. 54.
- ^ a b UNESCO World Heritage Committee 2008, p. 55.
- ^ "Examination of nomination of natural, mixed and cultural properties to the World Heritage List - Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN)". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ UNESCO World Heritage Committee 2008, p. 57.
- ^ UNESCO World Heritage Committee 2008, p. 53.
Bibliography (new)[edit]
- Nominations of Cultural Properties to the World Heritage List (PDF) (Report). UNESCO World Heritage Committee. 2008. pp. 52–65. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
