Take A Trip To Saint Stepanos Monastery When You Visit Tabriz

A trip to Saint Stepanos Monastery is included in the schedule of many international tourists when they visit Tabriz. It was built during the 9th century and contains huge historical and artistic values for the visitors, who are not essentially religious.

Christians and non-Christians alike visit the monument and enjoy it. The original structure was destroyed several times due to the earthquakes and was rebuilt during the Safavid era. The Armenian monastery is located in northeast Iran. It is situated at the Iranian side of the border between Azerbaijan and Iran along Aras river.

When you visit Tabriz, you can take a trip to Saint Stepanos Monastery, located at the intersection of two highways, such as, west of the Marand-Jolfa highway and east of the Khoy-Jolfa road.

Armenian Monastic Ensembles

Many people taking a trip to Saint Stepanos Monastery also visit the St Thaddeus and Chapel of Dzordzor to see the entire ensembles of the ancient Armenian Christian faith. These three ancient religious sites are the proof of interchange of idea between regional cultures like the Byzantine, Orthodox and Persian.

Several people also visit these sites to pay homage to the integrity and authenticity of the ancient cultural centers. By visiting these monasteries along with sites of other religious importance, a foreign visitor can understand and feel various religious traditions and practices followed by the people of northeast Iran during the past centuries.

Current Structure

The Monastery contains a pyramid shaped dome and looks quite beautiful in comparison to other monuments like the Saint Tatavous church. A perfect combination of Armenian and Georgian architectures were used to build the general structure. Paintings done by a renowned Armenian artist, Honatanian, were used for decorating the interior parts of the building.

Historical Importance

As recorded by Hayk Ajimian, an Armenian scholar and historian, the original church was built in the ninth century AD and was subsequently destroyed due to frequent earthquakes. So when you take a trip to Saint Stepanos Monastery, you will see a church, rebuilt during the reign of Shah Abbas the Second. The action taken by a non-Christian ruler is a testimony of religious tolerance by him during 17th century Iran.