The ornately decorated Vank Cathedral in Isfahan, Iran

*WS 150 – The ornately decorated Vank Cathedral in Isfahan, Iran*

Armenia is a country north of Iran. Their first kingdom lasted from 321 BC to 428 AD. During the middle ages their land was ruled by Muslim powers. The Persians were at war with the Ottoman Turks in 1601-03. The Persian king ordered the full evacuation of several cities at the frontier. The Armenians in those cities were settled in this new district of Jolfa in Isfahan. Today there are about 12,000 Armenians here. 

Most Armenians belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, the oldest national church in the World. We visited their cathedral in the Jolfa Armenian Quarters in Isfahan in 2018. It is called the Vank Cathedral, first built around the 1650s. The cathedral consists of a domed sanctuary, much like an Iranian mosque. The cathedral's exteriors are exceptionally plain compared to its elaborately decorated interior which is covered with frescoes and gilded carvings and paintings. 

From 1914 to 1923, about 1.5 million Armenians residing in Turkey and adjacent areas were deported by the Ottoman government, with many of them murdered or left to starve to death. This part of the history is called the Armenian Genocide.

At a corner of the courtyard of the cathedral is a raised platform with a memorial to the 1915 Armenian Genocide. The number 103 means the 103rd anniversary. There is also a museum here showcasing, among other things, the history of the Armenian Church. Shown a hand written Gospel dated to the 15th century.