Monastery of Saint Stepanos
Monastery of Saint Stepanos is located in Jolfa, a city of East Azerbaijan province. This place was one of the Armenian temples. Keep reading so that myDorna makes you familiar with this place.
Appellation
St. Stephan was one of the apostles of Jesus Christ and missionaries of Christianity whom was stoned by Jews. Most of the churches all around the world are named as Saint Stepanos.
History
Date of construction of the Monastery is not exact. Some historians believe that it dates back to years of living Jesus Christ, some of them believe that it has been built in the year of 649. One of the traders with name of Taroonia who was living in Safavid era has written a lot about the monastery and has said that this place was built in Safavid era.
Architecture
Shape of the monastery is like a cylinder and shape of the dome of it is like a cone. The monastery is made of stone and plaster. Architecture of the monastery is mixed of Romans`, Parthians` and Sassanid’s`.
The Monastery has two entrances; the first one is in the western and the second is in southern part of it. The walls of the monastery have been carved in masterfully way. Main part of monastery consists of 3 sections:
- Bell Tower
- Fireplace of Daniel
- Courtyard with 16-sided Dome
Bell Tower: located in southern part of Monastery, placed on a gate with four columns. On the second floor of the gate, there is a small dome placed on eight small columns. You can see tombstones of prominent people.
Fireplace of Daniel: a hallway connected to the northern wall of the monastery that has a map with shape of rectangular.
Courtyard: by entering the courtyard, you will see a 16-sided dome which is designed masterfully. There are some small windows through which inside of the monastery is illuminated.
Inscription
Abbas Mirza, who was the warden of Azerbaijan in Qajar era, bought a village near the monastery and gave his life for it. On the occasions of his works, an inscription is placed above entrance of the monastery.
Discoveries
Archeologists have discovered bones, some wooden boxes and yellow clothes between two arches of the monastery.
Best Times for Traveling
In the evenings and at nights, monastery is closed and you should get there in the mornings and afternoons.
Best seasons for traveling are spring and summer.
How to Get There?
Monastery of Saint Stepanos is located in 17 kilometers west of Jolfa city in east Azerbaijan province. If you want to get there by car, move from Tabriz to Jolfa and near Jolfa, you will see the signs showing the way to you. You can also take a taxi.
Address: Iran, East Azerbaijan Province, Jolfa City, Monastery of Saint Stepanos
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