IRAN: 350TH ANNIVERSARY OF VANK CATHEDRAL
Eurasia Review
October 26, 2014 Sunday
By Firouzeh Mirrazavi
A ceremony was held in Isfahan capital city on Monday (20th October,
2014) to mark the 350th anniversary of construction of the Holy Savior
Cathedral also known as Vank Cathedral. Vank Cathedral, also known as
the Church of the Saintly Sisters, is the most visited cathedral in
Isfahan. Vank means “cathedral” in the Armenian language. The ceremony
was attended by Armenian Church Leader His Holiness Aram I, Archbishop
of Isfahan province and southern parts of Iran Babken Charian and
a group of Isfahan’s Armenian residents and officials. During the
service, Archbishop Charian recited Prayers of Lament and holy bread
was distributed among worshipers.
Vank Cathedral, Armenian Quarter, Esfahan, Iran. Photo by Mike Gadd,
Wikipedia Commons.
Following the Ottoman war of 1603-1605, Armenians began to arrive
in Iran in search of a new life under the Safavid King Shah Abbas
I. Shah Abbas I, who settled tens of thousands of them in the Iranian
provinces south of Aras River, also relocated Armenians, who had fled
from the Ottoman massacre in Nakhchivan to Iran.
Nakhchivan suffered a lot during the 14th to 18th century wars between
Persia and the Ottoman Empire. The city fell under Safavid rule in
the 16th century. In 1604, when Shah Abbas I realized that the lands
of Nakhchivan and its surrounding areas might fall into Ottoman hands,
he decided to force the entire Muslim, Jewish and Armenian population
of the city to leave their homes and move to Iran. The Armenian
immigrants settled in Isfahan, the capital of the Safavid Dynasty,
and populated the city’s New Jolfa district, which was named after
their original homeland in today’s Azerbaijan Republic.
Upon entering Iran, Armenian refugees started building churches and
monasteries to continue their religious activities in their new home.
The first monastery in Jolfa was built in 1606 and included a little
church called Amna Perkich, which means ‘All Healing.’ The little
church was later expanded and turned into the magnificently designed
Vank Cathedral, which was built 50 years later under the supervision
of Archbishop David. One of the largest and most beautiful churches of
Iran, the cathedral was completed in 1664. It includes a bell-tower,
built in 1702, a printing press, founded by Bishop Khachatoor,
a library established in 1884, and a museum opened in 1905.
The architecture of the building is a mixture of the 17th-century
Safavid style with high arches and an Islamic-style dome. The cathedral
has greatly influenced the architecture and decorative treatment of
many churches in Iran and the Mesopotamian region. The main entrance
of the cathedral is a large wooden door through which visitors enter
the courtyard of the building. Upon entering the courtyard, one
encounters two rooms that were once used as administrative offices,
which helped Armenians process their paperwork. A large freestanding
belfry stands in the cathedral courtyard and towers over the graves
of Orthodox and Protestant Christians who have been buried along the
wall before the entrance.
Built 38 years after the main structure, the belfry leads into
the nave.
On the right side of the belfry there is a large blue inscription
surrounded by crucifix stones. The stones have been collected from the
ruined churches of the Jolfa quarter. On a raised area to the left,
a memorial has been set up in memory of the victims of the Ottoman
massacre. Every year on April 23 Armenians gather by the memorial to
light candles in honor of their martyrs. At a corner of the cathedral’s
courtyard, rooms and halls have been built to accommodate guests,
the Isfahan archbishop and his retinue, as well as other Armenian
religious authorities in Iran. Across the courtyard and facing the
cathedral is a building, which houses the Vank library and museum.
The library contains more than 700 manuscripts and hard-to-find sources
on Armenian and medieval European languages and arts. The Vank museum
houses unique and priceless collections of various types of items
gathered from across the Armenian world. Built in 1871, the museum
contains numerous objects related to the history of the cathedral and
the Armenian community of Isfahan, including the 1606 edict of Shah
Abbas I establishing New Jolfa and prohibiting interference with,
or the persecution of, Armenians and their property and affairs in
the district. Exquisite Bibles are also part of the museum’s dazzling
collection. A seven-gram bible displayed at the museum is believed
by some to be the world’s smallest written text in seven languages.
Safavid costumes, tapestries, European paintings brought back by
Armenian merchants, embroideries and other valuable items from
the Iranian-Armenian trading heritage are also part of the museum’s
unique archive. The Vank museum also houses an extensive collection of
photographs, maps, and Turkish documents related to the 1915 massacre
of Armenians by Ottoman kings. Vestments, monstrances, chalices and
other sacramental objects have also been displayed at the museum.
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. The early printing machine, which was built by Bishop
Khachatoor, was replaced by a new one brought from Amsterdam in 1647.
Later in 1844, an Armenian resident of Jolfa brought a printing
machine from Europe, which is also housed at Vank Museum. The first
book printed by the machine was the Psalms of David, which is now
kept at Oxford’s Bodleian Library.
The interior of the Vank Cathedral. Photo by ZhuPix, Wikipedia Commons.
The dun-colored brick exterior of the cathedral gives way to a stunning
combination of Persian tiles, Byzantine gold and European-style frescos
inside. The modern and plain exterior has a striking contrast with
its gloriously decorated interior. The entrance ceiling is adorned
with floral motifs and the top of the walls are covered with murals
depicting events from the life of Jesus. The interior is adorned
with paintings, gilded carvings and eye-catching tilework and the
pendentives bear painted images of a cherub’s head surrounded by folded
wings. On the northern wall of the cathedral paintings of Judgment Day
can be seen with heaven depicted above and hell below. The bottom parts
of the interior walls are covered with paintings depicting Armenians
being tortured by the Ottoman Turks. The double-layer brick dome is
beautifully gilded and adorned with paintings and floral patters in
its azure interior.
The paintings depict the Biblical story of the creation of the
universe and man’s expulsion from Eden. Eight windows surround the
dome with biblical scenes painted between them. The creation of
Adam and Eve, eating the forbidden fruit and the death of Able are
among the stories painted between the windows. The narthex is also
adorned with four paintings, which are surrounded with floral patterns
and show tortures inflicted upon holy figures. The birth of Jesus,
the Last Supper, the crucifixion of Jesus and the Ascension of Jesus
are also among the biblical stories depicted in the paintings inside
the cathedral. The paintings have been inspired by both old and new
testaments and have been painted by Armenian masters and three monks,
namely; Havans, Stepanus and Minas.
After the death of Shah Abbas I, his successor Shah Abbas II also
paid close attention to Armenians and New Jolfa, which is located on
the banks of the Zayandeh River and still houses a large part of the
Iranian-Armenian community.
Iran’s Armenian community grew in number as until 1933 immigrants and
refugees continued to flock to Iran from the Soviet Union. They built
churches, schools and various cultural, artistic and sports centers
across the country and eventually became Iran’s largest Christian
community. Today, Iranian-Armenians have two seats in the Iranian
Parliament (Majlis) and are the only minority with official observing
status in the country’s Guardian and Expediency Councils. Armenians
also publish books, journals, periodicals, and newspapers, including
the daily Alik. Many Armenians served in the Iranian army, and many
died in action during the Iran-Iraq War. Due to Iran-Iraq War the
number of Iran’s 250,000 Armenians further decreased to its current
150,000. Today in Iran there are about 120,000 – 150,000 Armenians
left. Half of which live in the Tehran area. A quarter live in Isfahan,
and the other quarter is concentrated in Northwestern Iran or Iranian
Azarbaijan. 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.
Firouzeh Mirrazavi
Deputy Editor of Iran Review