Vank Cathedral

Shah Abbas I resettled Armenians from Julfa on the Aras to a new quarter of Isfahan in the early seventeenth century, and Vank Cathedral was built there between 1655 and 1664 as the seat of the community. From outside it looks like an Iranian building, a plain brick block with a low dome and no cross visible from the street, which was the condition of building it. Inside it is entirely painted: frescoes covering every surface with biblical scenes above and a lower band of tilework, in a style that mixes Armenian, Persian and European influences, with a graphic depiction of hell across one wall. The complex holds a museum with Armenian manuscripts, printing equipment from one of the earliest presses in Iran, and a memorial to the events of 1915.

History

The cathedral was established in 1606 by the Armenians whom Abbas the Great resettled in the New Julfa quarter of his new capital. The changing fortunes of the suburb across the Zayande River, with its mix of European missionaries, mercenaries and travellers, can be read almost in sequence in the contrasts between its exterior and its interior (Wikipedia, Vank Cathedral).

What to look for

• A fully painted interior - frescoes over every surface above a tiled band.
• The plain exterior - a church that reads as an Iranian building from the street.
• The museum manuscripts - Armenian books and early printing equipment.
• The Jolfa quarter - the seventeenth-century Armenian district around it.

When to go

March to May and September to November. Two hours including the museum. Mornings are quieter. It closes on some religious days and during services. The Jolfa cafes nearby are a good pairing.

Good to know

Photography inside the cathedral is restricted or banned. The interior is dim and the upper frescoes are hard to see. The museum is small and its labelling uneven. The quarter around it has become fashionable and prices reflect that.

Nearby

Khaju Bridge is north on the river; Naqsh-e Jahan lies across the water.

Key facts