Take A Trip To Kara Kelisa When You Visit Tabriz

A trip to Kara Kelisa is included in the visit schedule of most of the international tourists when they visit Tabriz. The term is used locally to convey the meaning the Black Church. But the monument is originally named as the Kelisa-ye Tatavus and the Armenian Church and Monastery of St Thaddeus.

It is named after Aposmonumnettle Thaddeus or St Tadi, who is identified as St Jude by various scholars. You can easily access the monument located 18 km south of Maku. This is the first ever Christian Church built in a desolated area in Iran.

Associated Legend

You can take a trip to Kara Kelisa and see a temple built by Apostle Thaddeus or St Jude, after reaching the place in 66 AD. The Armenian legend also claims the monument to be the first ever church built on the earth. But the Bible does not provide any specific details about the Apostle and he is mentioned as a disciple of Christ only as a passing reference.

He was martyred with another disciple Simon the Zealot later on and was buried at the site of the monument. The Armenians consider this as one of the first Christian martyrs of the land and associate him with the Christian church in Persia.

Annual Service

Many people also take a trip to Kara Kelisa to see the annual service held around 19 of June, on the feast day of St Thaddeus. A large number of people visit Tabriz from all over Iran and attend various ceremonies held by pilgrims camping nearby for three days. But the ancient church remains almost isolated during other parts of the year. As the site will not be crowded, you can spend some time in observing and appreciating its architecture.

Current Structure

The structure in its current cruciform building form is constructed on the exact site of the early church. You can take a trip to Kara Kelisa to see the monument standing on a hill, covered with fortified walls and divided into two sections. An inscription states that one section was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1319. There were also many additions done during the early nineteenth century in an attempt to establish it as the seat of Armenian Catholics.