Sorp Serkis Church

West Azarbaijan province is the southern neighbor of Armenia; this proximity has caused West Azerbaijan to be called the province of churches. A large number of Christian churches adorn the cities of this province; one of these churches, which dates back to pre- Islamice era (2200 years ago), is called Sorp Serkis Church.

History

Many stories are told about the construction of the church. But the most narrated one is the story of the martyrdom of Sorp Serkis - a Christian missionary - by Shapur (Sassanian king) as a punishment because the promotion of any other religion except Zoroastrianism was prohibited in Sassanid Iran; in this regard, it is also called Saint Serkis or Holy Serkis Church . As Armenian and Iranian sources have many differences with each other, the date of its construction is not known exactly. Armenians consider this building to belong to the 4th century AD; however, Iranian researchers attribute the church to Ilkhanate period according to the type of materials and structure of the building. In order to prove their point, Iranian historians refer to the tendency of some Mongols to Christianity when they were in the northwest of Iran.

The Architecture of the Church

Regardless of controversaries over the construction date of this church, we are sure that Sorp Serkis Church was completely renovated during the Safavid period, so its present form belongs to that era. The Armenian origin of the church is determined by 2 stone inscriptions in Armenian on the inner column; in addition, an Armenian writing can be seen on the door of the south side. The floor of the church is slightly lower than the outer level and 6 columns are used inside. Due to the similarity of this church altar with that of most churches in Iran, we understand that there was a movement to repair churches in the Safavid dynasty.

A Christian place of worship among Azeris while rebuilt by Shiites. Wow, extraordinary harmony !!!

 

Tags: West Azerbaijan Province, West Azerbaijan Attractions, Churches in Iran , Christianity in Iran, Iran Historical Attractions, Sorp Serkis Church , Armenian Churches, Sassanid era in Iran

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