Saint Mary Church of Tabriz

Saint Mary Church, Holy Mother of God Church or Surp Mariam Asdvadzadzin Church (Armenian: , TÃ¢ÂÂavrizhi Surb Mariam Astvatsatsin yekeghetsÃ¢ÂÂi, Persian: ) is an Armenian Apostolic church in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran completed in 1785. It is the largest and oldest Christian church in Tabriz and a notable centre for Armenian national and religious ceremonies held by the Armenian community of Tabriz.

Location

The church is located at the corner of North Shariati (north Shahnaz) and Jomhuri avenues in the historical Dik Bashi neighborhood in the center of Tabriz. For many years, Saint Mary's served as the seat of the Azarbaijan Armenian archbishop. It is a handsomely built edifice, with annex buildings sprawled over a large area. A board of Armenian peers governs the well-attended church. The Tabriz Armenian Museum next to the church is run by the Armenian Prelacy of Tabriz.

History

An older church was built at this site in the 12th century AD (6th century AH). In his travel chronicles, Marco Polo, who traveled through Tabriz around 1275 AD, mentions this church on his way to China.

The oldest gravestone in this church dates back to the 16th century AD. The church has a stone hinge that according to the decor, the type of arch and the architectural features can be attributed to the 13th century AD (7th century AH) and the period of the Mongolian Ilkhan in Iran. According to an inscription, the church Ã¢ÂÂ as well as the whole city Ã¢ÂÂ was destroyed in a disastrous earthquake in 1780 AD, and the present building was built on its ruins from 1782 to 1785 in Safavid style.

Architecture

The church is 16 meters long and 14 meters wide. The belfry standing on four square columns in the middle of the church has four arches with biblical painting between the columns.

The tabernacle of the church was built in the style of Armenian architecture, parts of which can be dated back to the 12th century AD. The base of the church was made of limestone. The walls and pillars are of stone and brick, the vault of brick.

Bibliography

ÃÂ¹ÃÂ¨ÃÂ¯ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ¹ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ©ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ ÃÂ¢ÃÂ«ÃÂ§ÃÂ± ÃÂ¨ÃÂ§ÃÂ³ÃÂªÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ¢ÃÂ°ÃÂ±ÃÂ¨ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ¬ÃÂ§ÃÂ (ÃÂªÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂ: ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ¬ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ¢ÃÂ«ÃÂ§ÃÂ± ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ±ÃÂ³ÃÂµÃÂ±)ÃÂ ÃÂµÃÂÃÂÃÂ: ÃÂ±ÃÂ¹ÃÂ² [Abdol Ali Karang, Ancient Archeological Works of Azerbaijan. Tehran: National Monuments, 1351 (1972), p. 192.]
ÃÂªÃÂ¨ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ² ÃÂ¨ÃÂ ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂª ÃÂªÃÂµÃÂÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂ¨ÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ¾ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ®ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂªÃÂ´ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂªÃÂ ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ¾ ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂÃÂ ÃÂªÃÂ¨ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ² ÃÂ±ÃÂ³ÃÂ¸ÃÂ². [Tabriz by narration of the image, Ibrahim Pourhossein Khoniq, Publishing, First edition, Tabriz, 2003.]
ÃÂ©ÃÂÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂªÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ®ÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ±ÃÂ¯ÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂ©ÃÂÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂ¹ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ ÃÂ ÃÂ¨ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ§ [Historical Churches of Iran, Desert Harbor, Architecture and buildings.]
ÃÂ©ÃÂªÃÂ§ÃÂ¨ ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ:ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂÃÂ© ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂµÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ (ÃÂ±ÃÂ±ÃÂ± ÃÂªÃÂ§ ÃÂ±ÃÂµÃÂ·) ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂªÃÂ´ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂª:ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ©ÃÂ² ÃÂ¨ÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ¯ÃÂÃÂªÃÂ¯ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂªÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ ÃÂ¨ÃÂ§ ÃÂÃÂÃÂ©ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂªÃÂ´ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂª ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂ ÃÂªÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ®:ÃÂ±ÃÂ³ÃÂ¸ÃÂ°ÃÂ ÃÂ´ÃÂ§ÃÂ¨ÃÂ©:ÃÂ²-ÃÂ°ÃÂ°ÃÂ·-ÃÂ³ÃÂ¶ÃÂ³-ÃÂ¹ÃÂ¶ÃÂ´ [Andranik Hovian, Armenians of Iran (ArmanÃÂ«yÃÂn-i ÃÂªrÃÂn). Tehran: International Center for Dialogue Among Civilizations, in collaboration with Hermes Publishers, 1380 (2001), pp. 111 to 157.]
ÃÂ©ÃÂªÃÂ§ÃÂ¨ ÃÂ©ÃÂÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ¯ÃÂ± ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ: ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ ÃÂ¨ÃÂ±ÃÂ¯ÃÂ±ÃÂ¯ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ: ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¯ ÃÂ³ÃÂ¹ÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ [William Miller, Book of the Old Church in Iran, Recited: Mohammad Saeedi.]
ÃÂ©ÃÂÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂÃÂ¤ÃÂÃÂ: ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ ÃÂÃÂÃÂ©ÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ¾ ÃÂ¯ÃÂÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ²ÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂªÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ³ÃÂ¸ÃÂ° ÃÂ¯ÃÂÃÂªÃÂ± ÃÂ¾ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ´ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ [Lina Malcolmian, Churches of Armenians in Iran, Second Edition, Winter 2001, Office of Cultural Studies.]
ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ ÃÂ¨ÃÂ± ÃÂ©ÃÂÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂ³ÃÂªÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂ¢ÃÂ°ÃÂ±ÃÂ¨ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ¬ÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂ´ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂÃÂ ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ: ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ¯ÃÂ±ÃÂ ÃÂ´ÃÂ¬ÃÂ§ÃÂ¹ ÃÂ¯ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂÃÂµÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ ÃÂ¾ÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ - ÃÂ´ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ ÃÂ³ÃÂ´ - ÃÂ³ÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂÃÂ - ÃÂ²ÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂªÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂ±ÃÂ³ÃÂ¸ÃÂ´ [Nadereh Shoja Dahl, A Review of Armenian Churches in East Azarbaijan. Peyman Cultural Journal, 1384 (2005), p. 34.]
ÃÂ¨ÃÂ±ÃÂ±ÃÂ³ÃÂ ÃÂ³ÃÂÃÂ± ÃÂÃÂ¹ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ ÃÂ©ÃÂÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ³ ÃÂªÃÂ¨ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ²ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ: ÃÂ¢ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ¯ ÃÂ³ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂµÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ ÃÂ¾ÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ - ÃÂ´ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ ÃÂ¶ÃÂ¶ - ÃÂ³ÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂÃÂ - ÃÂ²ÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂªÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂ±ÃÂ³ÃÂ¹ÃÂ² [Armand Simonianz, The study of the architecture of the Church of Mary Magdalene in Tabriz. Peyman Cultural Journal, 1392 (2013), p. 66.]
ÃÂ¯ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ´ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ³ÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ: ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂª ÃÂ¯. ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ²ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂªÃÂ´ÃÂ§ÃÂ±ÃÂ§ÃÂª ÃÂÃÂÃÂ±ÃÂÃÂÃÂ¯ÃÂ ÃÂÃÂ§ÃÂ¾ ÃÂ¯ÃÂÃÂ:ÃÂ±ÃÂ³ÃÂ¸ÃÂ¸ÃÂ ÃÂ´ÃÂ§ÃÂ¨ÃÂ©:ÃÂ°-ÃÂµÃÂ°-ÃÂ¶ÃÂ¹ÃÂ·ÃÂ´-ÃÂ¹ÃÂ¶ÃÂ´-ÃÂ¹ÃÂ·ÃÂ¸ [Janet D. Lazarian: Encyclopedia of Iranian Armenians. Hirmand Publication, Second Edition 2009], .

References

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