Chapel of Dzordzor

The Chapel of Dzordzor, which is part of an Armenian monastery and located in Maku County, West Azerbaijan Province is one of the oldest and most important religious places of Iranian Armenians.

History of Chapel of Dzordzor

The historical churches belonging to the Armenian Christians of Iran were mainly built in three historical periods: from the early years of the arrival of Christianity to Iran until the 14th century AD, the period of Safavid rule (16th to 18th century AD), and the churches related to post-Safavid era, which were generally established in the 20th century. There are churches from all these historical periods in Azarbaijan, among which the Chapel of Dzordzor is one of the oldest.

According to some experts, the Chapel of Dzordzor was probably built between 1315 and 1342 AD. As mentioned in historical documents, the construction of this chapel was ordered by the bishop of the Saint Thaddeus monastery named Zecharia who was from a local noble landowning family. After the construction of the church, Bishop Homan Yerzangasi settled in it and started teaching Christianity. He chose the nickname “Dzorzortsi” for himself, which was the caused why this chapel came to be known as the Chapel of Dzordzor. Being located near the village of Baron it is also referred to as Baron Church by the locals.

In the 14th century AD, this church was very popular and a center for religious teachings. However, its importance began to gradually decrease and by the 17th century, it was only used for performing some religious rituals. Following, the outbreak of wars between Iran and the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century, the chapel was completely abandoned.

Architecture and Features of the Chapel of Dzordzor

The chapel has been built in a style that can be seen in the construction of most Armenian churches. From the inside, the church looks like a cruciform enclosure. An oval-shaped vault is also built in the interior space, on which four small skylights are embedded. Having several skylights, the 16-sided dome of the building also has a role in providing light inside the chapel. A cross-shaped form has been created above the entrance door, which is located in the west of the building.

Despite the fact that there are not many decorative works in the appearance of the building, the use of limestone with red pea color has made this building quite beautiful. The sign of the cross can be seen on the stones of the building and it seems the builders of this chapel had cut the stones in such a way that they could be fitted without the need for mortar.

Relocation of the Chapel of Dzordzor

Following the decision to build a dam on the Zangmar River and to avoid being inundated in the dam reservoir, the chapel was relocated 600 meters and placed 110 meters higher than the previous location in 1987-1988, in agreement with the Armenian Apostolic Church. This difficult and precise operation, which took 25 days and was referred to as one of the most important operations of Iran to protect historical sites, was carried out in such a way that all the stones were separated layer by layer from the original structure and carefully moved to the new place.

Where Is the Chapel of Dzordzor Located?

This chapel is located near a village called Baron, in the Maku County of West Azarbaijan province. The location of the chapel in the mountainous region of Qarahdagh, in a valley between the two mountains of “Qarahbolag” and “Qarahdagh”, doubles the pleasure of visiting it. The Chapel of Dzordzor is also located at a distance of 12 km from “Qarah Kelisa”; another important and historical church in the region.

Chapel of Dzordzor was inscribed on the list of Iran’s national heritage in 2002 and subsequently on the List of UNESCO’s World Heritage in July 2008.

Following the decision to build a dam on the Zangmar River and to avoid being inundated in the dam reservoir, the chapel was relocated 600 meters and placed 110 meters higher than the previous location in 1987-1988, in agreement with the Armenian Apostolic Church.