St. Stephanos Church in Jolfa | A Magnificent Wonder

It is unlikely that if you take a photo at St. Stephanos Church, anyone will notice that you took it in Iran. When you see the first sections of the church, you will be amazed by this grandeur, splendor, and beauty, and St. Stephanos Church will become one of the most amazing places you have ever seen.

Who is St. Stephanos?

Saint Stephanos or Stephen was one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. He, who was one of the first preachers of Christianity, was stoned to death by Jews in Jerusalem on December 26, 36 AD for allegedly preaching against Jewish law, making him the first martyr of Christianity. Of course, many churches with the same name exist throughout the world.

About St. Stephanos Church

St. Stephanos Church or the Church of Holy Stephen is the second most important Armenian church in Iran after the Black Church (Qara Kelisa).

This church was most likely built in the ninth century AD.

It suffered serious damage from an earthquake and was repaired and reconstructed during the Safavid period.

This monument was registered as one of Iran’s national heritage sites on March 6, 1963 (Esfand 15, 1341) with registration number 429.

In addition, this church is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

This church is still in use, and on one day of the year, thousands of Armenians gather at this site to perform their special rituals.

History of St. Stephanos Church

There are different accounts regarding the construction history of this church. Some believe the building belongs to the early period of Christianity, while Taronite attributes it to the Safavid period. Additionally, the presence of some architectural evidence dates this structure to the fourth and sixth centuries AH. For example, similarities have been observed between this church and the Tadeaus Church (in West Azerbaijan Province).

According to some Armenian historians, this monastery was built by one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ named Bartholomaeus the Apostle in the first century AD.

This church, in addition to being a place for performing religious rituals and religious education classes, was also a gathering place for artists in the fields of painting and illumination, singing and music, calligraphy, science and philosophy, and more.

Architecture of St. Stephanos Church

The church building is cylindrical with a conical dome covering it. This church is built from pink, red, and white stones, which gives it a very majestic appearance. In St. Stephanos Church, there are seven watchtowers and five stone pillars resembling fortresses. The architecture is a fusion of Urartian, Parthian, and Roman styles, which brought the entire structure to its current form.

The church’s dimensions are approximately 15.85 by 22.37 meters and has two entrance doors. Outside the church is a bell tower building with a dome.

The main church building has three sections:

• The church courtyard and 16-sided dome
• Bell tower
• Daniel’s Hermitage

The Entrance Door

The beautifully inlaid entrance door of the church will certainly capture your attention. This door dates to the Qajar period, serving as a memento from that era. Above the lintel of the entrance is an inscription from Abbas Mirza in Persian script with its Armenian translation.

The Church Courtyard and 16-Sided Dome

Beyond the entrance door of St. Stephanos Church is a sixteen-sided dome above the church. A beautiful dome decorated with lovely geometric patterns. Each side alternately has a window that opens into the dome and the church courtyard, illuminating the interior space with natural light.

The main courtyard of the church is built in a cross shape measuring 21 by 16 meters and includes a portico and a sanctuary.

The Bell Tower

The bell tower is located in the southern section of the church building on two levels and rests on four columns. On the second floor, you can observe a pyramidal dome resting on eight smaller prismatic columns. At the apex of the pyramidal dome of the bell tower, like the top of the main dome of the church, a metal cross is installed. The columns of the bell tower are made of red stone with beautiful and artistic capitals.

The fronts of the arches of these columns are decorated with various relief patterns such as angels, crosses, citrus fruits, stars, and eight-petaled flowers.

Daniel’s Hermitage

Saint Daniel, who was born in Syria in 410 AD and died after 80 years of asceticism and worship in a village on the banks of the Euphrates. Daniel’s Hermitage, also called the Prayer House of Saint Paul, is a hall attached to the northern wall of the church with a rectangular design, its entrance being from the west side of the structure. This section also has three important parts:

• Assembly hall; in the middle
• Hermitage; eastern section
• Baptism pool; western section

Decorations of St. Stephanos Church

The fact that this church is built in a beautiful and lush environment is among its primary beauties. Although you must travel an uphill path to reach the church building, the pleasant air and walking among the trees along the way make this journey enjoyable for you.

Its outer walls are built with beautifully carved stones.

Iran Travel Recommendations

Due to the mountainous path and then the church stairs, visiting this site is not recommended for people with walking disabilities.

After your visit, you can shop at the handicraft store nearby.

After visiting this structure, you can go to the shops in Jolfa city center to enjoy shopping at reasonable prices.

Visiting St. Stephanos Church

Address: East Azerbaijan, 17 kilometers west of Jolfa city and 3 kilometers from the southern bank of the Aras River, in the “Qizil Vank” neighborhood (Red Monastery).

Visiting Hours: 9 AM – 6 PM

Closed Days: June 5, 21st of Ramadan, 25th of Shawwal, 9th and 10th of Muharram, 28th of Safar

Entrance Fee: 25,000 Rials

Foreign Tourist Ticket: 150,000 Rials

Source: Iran Travel