Vank Cathedral

Isfahan

It is the name of a church in the district of Jolfa (Isfahan), which bears the name of the church of “Surp Amena Perkich Vanak” Jogha in Nakhitchevan. This church is one of the historical churches of the Armenians of Isfahan and was built during the reign of Shah Abbas II. Vank means monastery in Armenian. During the Safavid period, large numbers of Armenians were forcibly displaced in Iran and settled in the Jolfa neighborhood. These people built a church in Isfahan in memory of their holy church in Armenia and named it Jolfa.

The area of ​​Amena Perkij church is 8731 square meters, of which 3857 square meters is the building, and the rest of the green space and garden is Vank. This church is built of brick, unlike the ancient Armenian churches, which are mostly built of stone.

The exterior wall of the church is covered with bricks and the interior wall is covered with plaster, which is painted and decorated. The church has two domes; the small dome is located on the public residence, and the large dome is built on the front of the church altar.

The dome of ancient Armenian churches is conical, but the dome of Vank Church is similar to the dome of Persian Safavid mosques. And it shows the combination of Armenian and Islamic architecture.

All the walls, arches, the dome neck, the interior of the dome and all the corners of the church are painted and decorated with oil paints. Most church murals have biblical themes and are depicted from the birth to the ascension of Jesus Christ. On part of the walls of the church, the Day of Judgment, the judgment of the Day of Judgment and heaven and hell can be seen.

This church is unique among Armenian churches in terms of gilding and beauty. This church is unique among Armenian churches in terms of gilding and beauty.

One of the most famous works in the Vank Church Museum is a hair belonging to an eighteen-year-old girl on which Vahram Hakopian wrote a passage from Torah in Armenian in 1974 in a diamond pen. On the hair with a microscope installed for this purpose.