Cathedral of the Holy Christ the Savior (Isfahan)

The cathedral was built between 1606 and 1655 , one of the first created in the Armenian quarter of Isfahan Julfa by decree of the settlement of the Armenian question of Shah Abbas I , after another of his wars with the Ottoman Empire . The eclecticism of the cathedral - the contrast of Christian and Muslim styles - can be explained by the successive change of power in this suburb of Isfahan: European missionaries, mercenaries, Islamic power. It is possible to trace almost in chronological order the combination of the architectural styles of the cathedral in the exterior and interior. The temple is laconic outside, and rich in interior decoration.

The full name is the Cathedral of the Saints, and the word “Vank” is translated from Armenian as “monastery” and has become a common noun in Isfahan .

Iran seeks to include the collection on the UNESCO World Heritage List ^[2]

The construction is believed to have begun in 1606 and completed with major changes in the project between 1655 and 1664, under the direction of the Archbishop David. The cathedral consists of a domed sanctuary, as well as the Persian mosque, but with a significant European addition: the semi-octagonal altar apse . The exterior of the cathedral is relatively modern brickwork and is exceptionally simple compared to the richly decorated interiors of the temple.

The walls of the temple are richly decorated with polychrome painting ( frescoes ), gilded carvings and artistic tiles . The central dome is painted with gold and blue paint, it depicts a biblical story about the Creation of the World and the expulsion of man from Paradise ^[3] . The sails of the cathedral vaults are decorated with the heads of cherubs with folded wings, with distinctly appearing Armenian motifs. The ceiling above the entrance is decorated with elegant floral motifs in the style of Persian miniatures . Two lanes of paintings decorate the inner walls of the temple: the upper part depicts events from the life of Jesus , the lower part - the torture suffered by the Armenian martyrs in the Ottoman Empire. In the courtyard there is a large autonomous bell tower, towering over the graves of Christian Orthodox and Protestants . Graves with inscriptions in Armenian are also placed along the outer wall in front of the entrance. In one corner of the courtyard is a monument of 1915, dedicated to the Armenian Genocide in Turkey . Through the courtyard, facing the temple, is the building of the library and museum ^[4] . At the entrance to the temple, a monument to the Persian pioneer printer Archbishop Khachatur Kesaratsi is installed ^[5] .

The cathedral had a great influence on the architecture and decoration of many subsequent Orthodox churches throughout the Persian - Mesopotamian region.

The library of the temple contains more than 700 manuscripts and a lot of priceless and unique medieval resources in Armenian and European languages ​​for research in history and art. The museum features numerous exhibits from the history of the cathedral and the Armenian community in Isfahan ^{[6] [7]} , including:

• the decree of Shah Abbas I of 1606 on the creation of the Armenian quarter of Julf;
• several decrees of Abbas I and his successors condemning and prohibiting the intervention or persecution of Armenians and their property in the Julf quarter:
• historical typography, the first printed books in Iran;
• liturgical utensils, vestments, monsters , bowls and other church artifacts;
• costumes of the Safavid era, tapestries , paintings brought by European and Armenian merchants, embroidery and other treasures from the trade heritage of the Armenian diaspora ;
• ethnic artifacts belonging to the Armenian culture and religion;
• photographs, maps, Turkish documents (with translation) related to the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in Turkey.

• In 2014, the 350th anniversary of the cathedral was celebrated ^[8] .
• The cathedral is depicted on a postage stamp of a joint post issue of Armenia and Iran ^[9] .

• List of Armenian temples of Iran

• Լ. Գ. Նասյան. Որ-Ջուղայի Ս.Ամենափրկիչ վանքի թանգարան. 1968 / L. G. Minasyan Museum of the Cathedral of Saint Christ the All - Savior of Nor-Juga 1968 (in Armenian)
• Դիւան Ս. Ենափրկիչ Վանքի 1606-1960 Publications of the printing house of the cathedral for 1606-1960. (Armenian)

• IRAN in the Orthodox Encyclopedia / Armenian Apostolic Church in Iran
• The Cathedral of the Holy Christ the Savior in the Encyclopedia of Religion / Institute of Armenian Studies of YSU (Armenian)
• Cathedral of the Holy Christ the All-Savior on the website of the Isfahan Diocese of the Echmiadzin Patriarchate of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Armenian)