page_title: Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran
section_title: Saint Stepanos Monastery
hierarchical_section_title: Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran / Architecture / Saint Stepanos Monastery
caption_attribution_description: The Dzor Dzor Armenian church in Iran.
context_page_description: The Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, located in the West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan provinces in Iran, is an ensemble of three Armenian churches that were established during the period between the 7th and 14th centuries A.D. The edifices—the St. Thaddeus Monastery, the Saint Stepanos Monastery, and the Chapel of Dzordzor—have undergone many renovations. These sites were inscribed as cultural heritages in the 32nd session of the World Heritage Committee on 8 July 2008 under the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The three churches lie in a total area of 129 hectares and were inscribed under UNESCO criteria, and for their outstanding value in showcasing Armenian architectural and decorative traditions, for being a major centre for diffusion of Armenian culture in the region, and for being a place of pilgrimage of the apostle St. Thaddeus, a key figure in Armenian religious traditions. They represent the last vestiges of old Armenian culture in its southeastern periphery. The ensemble is in a good state of preservation.
context_section_description: The Saint Stepanos Monastery ensemble is in the gorge of the Araxe River, which borders Azerbaijan. The central zone of the monastery is in an area of 72.06 hectares (178.1 acres). The main chapel is located on a steep slope within an enclosed wall in an area of 48 by 72 metres (157 ft × 236 ft). There are also residences built for the monks next to the monastery. The length of the church, built in a Greek cross form, is 27 metres (89 ft) and its height is 25 metres (82 ft). A four-pillared entrance is topped by a bell tower built in two levels; the first level is rectangular in shape, and at the second level there are pillars supporting an umbrella-shaped dome. Built in the style of Armenian religious architecture, it has cut-stone fascia. Within the church there are paintings that are based on similar ones at the Echmiatsin Church, which is a blend of Christian and Islamic art forms.
  Downstream of the monastery is an area of 10.85 hectares (26.8 acres) where the village, the cemetery, and an associated church are located. The village is destroyed except for the church, which is built in the form of a basilica, with four pillars supporting a cupola. The cemetery in the village has tombs dated to 16th century.
  Upstream, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away, is the Chupan Chapel (Chupan meaning "shepherd"), located close to the town of Jolfa on the bank of the Araxe River in an area of 4.18 hectares (10.3 acres). It is well preserved and is built to a rectangular plan of 5.5 by 6.5 metres (18 ft × 21 ft). It has a dome that is supported over a tambour, but the rest of the structures next to the chapel are in ruins.
caption: Chapel of Dzordzor
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