Church of Saint Thaddeus
Chaldoran County, Iran
Open to visitors
The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.
Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.
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The Monastery of Saint Thaddeus, located in the mountainous terrain of West Azerbaijan province near Chaldoran, Iran, is one of the world's oldest church buildings, though much of its present structure dates to 1811 when Crown Prince Abbas Mirza undertook major reconstruction. Also known as Kare Kilisa ("Stone Church"), the monastery showcases Armenian architecture with distinctive conical roofs visible across vast distances, and its fabric reflects successive periods of Ilkhanid, Safavid, and Qajar building campaigns. Constructed in stone and situated in the region historically known as Ancient Armenia in the East, the monastery is designated as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Iranian National Heritage property. The site hosts the Pilgrimage of St. Thaddeus, recognized by UNESCO in 2020 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage tradition.
Movement
- Type
- monastery, cultural property
- Materials
- stone
- Heritage
- part of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Iranian National Heritage
- Place
- Chaldoran County, Iran
This building on
Architecturally similar
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Location