Vank Church, Isfahan, Iran
When the Armenian community from Julfa (in present-day Azerbaijan) was replaced in the 17th century by Shah Abbas I, the Safavid ruler established an Armenian neighborhood called New Julfah in Isfahan, Iran. The community settled there and the Church of the Holy Saviour, also known as Vank Church, was one of the first churches built.
On the church grounds, there is also a small museum displaying religious and historical artifacts, including the first book printed in Iran. It also highlights the Armenian genocide that the Ottoman Empire waged in its final years.
As for the church, its simple dome and exterior reveal the richness of art within. Gilded frescoes depicting the Old and New Testaments and saints on the walls of this ornate church. Look a little closer and you'll see Persian floral motifs at the edges. The altar decorated with bricks will not look out of place in any of Iran's largest mosques. The fusion of Persian and Armenian Christian architecture is unique to this part of the world.
