Saint Thaddeus Cathedral

According to some historians, Saint Thaddeus Cathedral, which is also called “Qara Kelisa” (lit. Black Church) by the local people, is the first church of the Christian world. This church is located 20 km from Chaldoran.

History of the Saint Thaddeus Cathedral

According to some narrations, this church was built on the tomb of Thaddeus, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ who traveled to this region around 40 AD at the invitation of Abkar, the then king of Armenia, to preach Christianity. Thaddeus lived in this area for some time and preached Christianity. Sometime later, after Abkar’s death, his successor “Sanadruk” began to oppose Thaddeus and eventually had him arrested and executed in 66 AD along with a number of his followers, one of whom was Sanadruk’s wife, “Sandokht”. After the death of Thaddeus, a chapel was built over his grave, which was turned into a cathedral in the 7th century AD. Some others, however, claim that Thaddeus had built a church for himself, after arriving in this region, where he was buried after he was killed by Sanadruk.

This church is the center of the annual gathering of Armenian Christians. Since the church is located in between Muslim towns and villages, this event is highly honored by Muslims.

Architecture of Saint Thaddeus Cathedral

Saint Thaddeus Church can be described as an exemplary church in Iran. Using the stories of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh to decorate this building has doubled its grandeur. The reliefs of the church are extremely beautiful and made with great elegance.

The total area of St. Thaddeus Church is 6285 square meters and several tombstones can be seen inside the church. There is also a stone pool in the inner area of the church. 44 abbeys were built around the church, which were used to accommodate monks, researchers, and church guards, and as book storage. The church has two eastern and western courtyards.

The church is protected by high walls surrounding it and by five semi-circular watchtowers. In this sense, it can be considered similar to the “Echmiadzin” Church in Armenia and it can be described as a holy fortress.

The older part of the church is its eastern part, which is characterized by black cut stones, while the later part of the church is characterized by white stones. The massive earthquake that occurred in this area in 1391 AD destroyed a large part of the old building of the church. Presently, some parts of the abbeys, the altar, and the area in front of it are left of the old building.

There is a tomb on top of a hill located north of the church that is believed to be Sandokht’s tomb. The construction date of this building goes back to 1813 AD.

Saint Thaddeus Cathedral has faced numerous natural disasters and political and social incidents and has been repeatedly attacked and vandalized as a result of which it received a lot of damage and had to go under restoration in different periods. One of the major restorations dates back to 1813 AD, when Abbas Mirza, the crown prince of Iran at the time, ordered the restoration of this building and the construction of the Sandokht’s memorial building.

Where is Saint Thaddeus Cathedral Situated?

The church is located in the south of Maku City, northeast of Chaldoran, and near the road from Chaldaran to Qarahziyaaddin, in an area called “Siah Cheshmeh” (lit. Black Spring). St. Thaddeus Church is located in one of the highest areas of West Azarbaijan Province, therefore, visiting this historic monument in autumn and winter is not recommended. Non-Christians are not allowed to visit the site on the days when Christian rituals are held in Saint Thaddeus Cathedral.

Saint Thaddeus Cathedral Situated was inscribed on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage, along with “Zor Zor” Church and “Saint Stepanos” Monastery in the year 2008.

According to some historians, Saint Thaddeus Cathedral, which is also called “Qara Kelisa” (lit. Black Church) by the local people, is the first church of the Christian world.