Julfa Choopan Church
Julfa Choopan Church, also known as St. Andrew Verti, was built in the 16th century and rebuilt in 1836. The natives of this area also know this building as Nakhirchi Church, which means cowboy church.
This historical and religious place is located near the Church of St. Stephen in the west of Julfa, on Aras River's beach in the province of East Azerbaijan. This building, which is one of the Armenian churches in Iran, was registered in the list of national sites of Iran in March 2002. Choopan (shepherd) Church was a place of worship for Armenian shepherds living in villages around the Sham Valley. The building of Julfa Choopan Church, which is one of the smallest churches in the world, is 7.7 by 5.7 meters square on the outside and has a cross shape inside.
The church has a small dome with a circular plan with four skylights on all four sides. The arches of this church, like other churches, are truncated. The main entrance of this church is located on the west side of the building and its altar is located in the eastern part of the building.
The materials used in the building are stone and mortar. The surface of the interior walls of the building is also plastered. This structure is made in the most simple and clean way and no carvings can be seen in it. On the west side of Jolfa Choopan Church, there are the remains of a ruined building that probably formed part of the church.
Stones in the shape of cross have been found in the area around the church, some of which have been transferred to Tabriz for storage.
To visit this beautiful attraction and other tourist places of East Azerbaijan province, you can join the tours of Persiantrips Tourism group.
Tags: East Azarbaijan Province, church, Churches in Iran , East Azarbaijan Attractions
