Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew Church of Tehran explained

Building Name:Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew Church of Tehran
Location:Grand Bazaar, Tehran, Iran
Map Type:Iran
Religious Affiliation:Armenian Apostolic Church
Rite:Armenian
Functional Status:Functioning
Architecture:yes
Architecture Style:Armenian
Year Completed:1768, rebuilt 1808

Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew Church of Tehran, (Armenian: Armenian: Սուրբ Թադևոս-Բարդուղիմեոս եկեղեցի, Persian: Persian: کلیسای تادئوس و بارتوقیمئوس مقدس), is an Armenian Apostolic church in Tehran, Iran. It is the oldest church in Tehran.

Location

It is located in Armenians Alley Persian: کوچه ارامنه, Molavi Avenue (fa), south of Tehran Grand Bazaar, close to now destroyed southern gate of Tehran.

History

Armenians migrated from New Julfa to Tehran during the reign of Karim Khan Zand, mainly to involve in his construction plans to make Tehran his capital. These Armenians built Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew Church in 1768. It was consecrated by Grigor Ter-Hovhannesian in September 1788.[1]

The church building occupies an area of about 220 m², with a small courtyard in combination with a courtyard and rooms totally in an area of 350 m², imitating small churches of New Julfa. In late 18th and early 19th century, the church was the first and only cemetery of Christians in Tehran.[2]

In 1970, original frescoes were discovered underneath the plaster on the interior walls.

Notable burials

The church contains also a memorial stone for the killed Russian ambassador Alexander Sergeyevich Griboyedov (+ 1829) whose body was kept here until the transfer to his final grave in Tbilisi.[7]

Bibliography

See also

References

  1. Web site: نـخـسـتـیـن فـضـاهـای زیـستی و عبادی ارمنیــان در تهران قدیم. ammi.ir.
  2. Web site: مزار مسیحیان معروف مدفون در کلیسای تادئوس و باردوقیمئوس مقدس. شورای خلیفه گری ارامنه تهران.
  3. Web site: Tehran’s ancient Armenian church: Resting place of Sir Walter Scott’s youngest son, Charles.
  4. Web site: The Scott Family Graves. The Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club.
  5. Web site: A.L.S. To Sir John McNeill. About "sending A Copy of the first two volumes of my Perisan Translation of the Old Testament in Boards without the Title page, which isnot yet printed. We arenow at the psalms & hope to have the whole finished in the course of a about a half a year." par Glen, William (1778-1849): Fine 12mo (1845) | The Old Mill Bookshop. www.abebooks.fr.
  6. Web site: 52 Ancestors: #14 Charles Wright Parker Alison Esq. CB. April 29, 2014.
  7. Laurence Kelly: Diplomacy and Murder in Tehran: Alexander Griboyedov and Imperial Russia’s Mission to the Shah of Persia, Tauris Parke, New York 2002, ISBN 1 84511 196 6, pp 192 + 200.