St. Thaddeus Monastery

Qara Kelisa, the Black Church, stands alone on a high open plateau in West Azerbaijan, and Armenian tradition holds that the apostle Thaddeus was buried here and that a church was founded on the site in the first century, making it one of the oldest Christian foundations anywhere, though the present building is largely of the fourteenth century with nineteenth-century additions. It takes its name from the black stone of the older eastern part, contrasted with the pale stone of the later western section, and the exterior is covered with carved arcading, figures and geometric bands. Each July several thousand Armenians gather here for a three-day pilgrimage and liturgy, camping around the walls, which is the one time the empty plateau fills.

What you actually see

• Black and pale stone halves - two building periods in contrasting rock.
• Carved exterior arcading - figures and geometric bands over the walls.
• The high open plateau - the monastery standing alone in bare country.
• The July pilgrimage - several thousand gathering for three days.

When to go

June to September; the plateau is snowbound in winter. Two hours. The July pilgrimage is the one busy period and is a religious event rather than a spectacle. Otherwise it is empty.

Honest expectations

It is very remote and the drive is long from any city. Outside the pilgrimage the church is usually locked and needs a caretaker. There are no facilities on the plateau. Wind and sun are strong with no shelter.

Nearby

Chaldoran is north; Maku lies west toward the border.