July 2018 - Isfahan Tourist Information

Vank Cathedral

Vank Cathedral History

Vank Cathedral is located in Kelisa Alley-Nazar-e Sharqi Street. This street is a part of the Armenian district of Isfahan, Jolfa. In 1606, it used to be only a prayer hall. Then, in 1655, it was renovated to Vank Cathedral with its high double layer dome. The numbers of these two years are inscribed on a tile work on top of church’s gate.

The oldest church in Iran is the Surp Sarkis Mother Cathedral in Tehran. Among the two famous churches, Bethlehem church is older than Vank cathedral in Isfahan.

Unique Characteristics

The Vank Cathedral is a masterpiece of architecture. Construction of this cathedral started at the time of Shah Abbas the second. Vank Cathedral architecture is a combination of Iranian and Armenian architecture. That is why when you first arrive at this old church, you will see that this cathedral is the only one to be built with indigenous materials like clay and brick. Certainly, it is a way to show the mixed culture and the symbiont circle that stood for four more than 400 hundred years in Jolfa.

Vank Cathedral Paintings

As soon as you move into the church’s passage and enter the prayer hall, you are faced by:

The unique collections of beautiful frescos: they depict stories from the holy bible and Tora. Armenian artists painted them during safavid era.
The magnificent tile works with gild adornments.

These characteristics are what make this Isfahan Armenian church different. Khajeh stepanusian paid for the most of the expenses of these glorious paintings. Vank cathedral paintings are bold and painted onto the walls with such precise lines.

Written Words on a Hair Piece in the Vank Cathedral Museum

The two-story museum on the northern part of the courtyard contains exhibits of some of the earliest books ever printed with one of the first printing devices in Middle east.

Other Interesting Valuable Items in This Museum are:

Carved wooden crosses
Proclaim dishes
Old holy books
The smallest scripture in the world
A short piece of hair, measuring only about 0.004-inch-thick, with written words on it in Armenian which is visible through a microscope.

Important Monuments

The symbolic April 24th memorial.
There is a library with more than 10,000 books next to the museum.
The gravestones in this Cathedral belong to priests, Russian and British consults, politicians, doctors, and people who contributed to the process of building and completing the church.

You can find Vank Cathedral opening hours and entrance fee below.

Overview

Opening Hours

Daily Hours: 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM

Location

Vank Church alley, Jolfa District, Isfahan, Iran

Contact

(+98) 3136243471

Price

500,000 Rls

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Ālī Qāpū Palace

1 Comment/in Attractions

Kãkh-e Ãli Qãpou کاخ عالی قاپو

Ali Qapu is a grand palace in Isfahan, Iran. It is located on the western side of the Naqsh e Jahan Square, opposite to Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, and had been originally designed as a vast portal. It is forty-eight meters high and there are six floors, each accessible by a difficult spiral staircase. In the sixth floor, Music Hall, deep circular niches are found in the walls, having not only aesthetic value, but also acoustic.
The name Ali Qapu, from Persian ‘Ālī (meaning “”imperial”” or “”great””), and Azerbaijani Qāpū (meaning “”gate””), was given to this place as it was right at the entrance to the Safavid palaces which stretched from the Naqsh e Jahan Square to the Chahar Baq Boulevard. The building, another wonderful Safavid edifice, was built by decree of Shah Abbas I in the early seventeenth century. It was here that the great monarch used to entertain noble visitors, and foreign ambassadors. Shah Abbas, here for the first time, celebrated the Nowruz (Iranian New Year) of 1006 AH / 1597 C.E.
Ali Qapu is rich in naturalistic wall paintings by Reza Abbasi, the court painter of Shah Abbas I, and his pupils. There are floral, animal, and bird motifs in his works. The highly ornamented doors and windows of the palace have almost all been pillaged at times of social anarchy. Only one window on the third floor has escaped the ravages of time. Ali Qapu was repaired and restored substantially during the reign of Shah Sultan Hussein, the last Safavid ruler, but fell into a dreadful state of dilapidation again during the short reign of invading Afghans. Under the reign of Nasir ol Din Shah e Qajar (1848–96), the Safavid cornices and floral tiles above the portal were replaced by tiles bearing inscriptions.
Shah Abbas II was enthusiastic about the embellishment and perfection of Ali Qapu. His chief contribution was given to the magnificent hall, the constructures on the third floor. The 18 columns of the hall are covered with mirrors and its ceiling is decorated with great paintings.
The chancellery was stationed on the first floor. On the sixth, the royal reception and banquets were held. The largest rooms are found on this floor. The stucco decoration of the banquet hall abounds in motif of various vessels and cups. The sixth floor was popularly called the Music Hall. Here various ensembles performed music and sang songs.
From the upper galleries, the Safavid ruler watched Chowgan (polo), maneuvers and the horse-racing opposite the square of Naqsh e Jahan.
The palace is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 20,000 rials banknote. Actually, the palace is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 20 rials banknote series 1953.

(Source: wikipedia.org)