Of the 600 churches in Iran, 480 are Armenian – scientific conference

Iran currently has 600 churches of which 480  are Armenian, an Iranian-Armenian researcher said today, calling for active efforts towards renovating the Armenian Christian monuments in the country.

In a report delivered at the scientific conference “New Jugha”, Shahen Hovsepyan said  that only 80 operate today, with many others being in a forlorn condition.  In his words, the churches were built by ethnic Armenian migrants or natives.

“They built them on two conditions: that the churches should have neither a belfry nor a cross, and they should never externally look like an Armenian church. An Armenian master had to build the kind of church that would differ from those being built in Armenia,” he added.

Hovsepyan said he knows that New Jugha alone has 25 Armenian churches.

The thematic reports, “Place Names in Epitaphs in New Jugha”, “Merchant Palaces’ Architectural Decorations” and “The Historic” were delivered on the sidelines of the event.

The conference aimed to introduce New Jugha’s architectural riches (including houses, churches, population), Hovsepyan added.

Speaking to reporters, Ahmat Montazeri, an art professor from the University of Isfahan (Iran), elaborated on the differences between the Armenian and Iranian houses in New Jugha. The expert, who has studied the Armenian monuments in Isfahan’s Armenian district, said he has noticed that the land properties owned by the Armenians start with the house yard, with the Persian houses being divided into two parts: guest rooms and a space for the family which was detached from the rest of the premises.  “Due to the climate in New Jugha, where the stone store is not in abundance, they built houses of bricks, without ever using stones. The same applies to churches, which were built of bricks and clay,” he added.

The professor noted that out of the 300 Armenian houses in 1985, only 70 were preserved as of 2015. But he denied any state role in pulling down houses. “Very often, old residents who were from Old Jugha sold the house to someone who didn’t much care about preserving an ancient value and renovated the entire premises,” he said.

Montazeri added that the state has now imposed certain restrictions in an effort to preserve the cultural heritage of New Jugha.

“Ten houses have been purchased to be rebuilt as cultural centers. One of the houses now operates as a university dealing with the culture of New Jugha,” he added.

For his contribution towards promoting a research of, and preserving, the Armenian monuments in New Jugha and the neighboring regions, Montazeri was earlier today honored with an acknowledgement award by Armenia’s minister of urban development.