Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran
Archaeology » Heritage sites» Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran
Location
Pars Province

Country
Iran

Year of Research
2008

Culture
  • The Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, in the north-west of the country, consists of three monastic ensembles of the Armenian Christian faith: St Thaddeus and St Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzor.

  • These edifices - the oldest of which, St Thaddeus, dates back to the 7th century – are examples of outstanding universal value of the Armenian architectural and decorative traditions.

  • They bear testimony to very important interchanges with the other regional cultures, in particular the Byzantine, Orthodox and Persian.

  • Situated on the south-eastern fringe of the main zone of the Armenian cultural space, the monasteries constituted a major centre for the dissemination of that culture in the region.

  • They are the last regional remains of this culture that are still in a satisfactory state of integrity and authenticity.

  • Furthermore, as places of pilgrimage, the monastic ensembles are living witnesses of Armenian religious traditions through the centuries.

  • The Armenian monasteries of Iran illustrate the Outstanding Universal Value of Armenian architectural and decorative traditions.

  • They bear testimony to very important cultural interchanges with the other regional cultures, in particular Byzantine, Orthodox and Persian.