| Saint Stepanos Monastery | |
|---|---|
Սուրբ Ստեփանոս վանք | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Armenian Apostolic Church |
| Location | |
| Location | East Azarbaijan,Iran |
  Shown within Iran | |
| Coordinates | 38°58′45.75″N45°28′23.71″E / 38.9793750°N 45.4732528°E /38.9793750; 45.4732528 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Armenian architecture |
| Official name: Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii, vi |
| Designated | 2008(32ndsession) |
| Reference no. | 1262 |
| Region | Western Asia |
TheSaint Stepanos Monastery (Armenian:Սուրբ Ստեփանոս վանք,Surb Stepanos Vank;Persian:کلیسای سن استپانوس,Kelisā-ye San Estepānus), also known in Armenian asMaghardavank (Մաղարդավանք), is anArmenian monastery located about 15 km northwest of the city ofJulfa in the province ofEast Azarbaijan, northwesternIran. It is situated in a deep canyon along theAraxes, on the Iranian side of the border between Iran andNakhchivan. It was originally built in the ninth century, and was rebuilt during theSafavid era, after being damaged through wars and earthquakes.
It is part of theArmenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, which are inscribed on UNESCO'sWorld Heritage List.
SaintBartholomew the Apostle first founded a church at the site around AD 62, during theParthian era.[1] The first monastery was built in the seventh century, and was later expanded in the 10th century. The monastery was damaged during the wars between theSeljuks and theByzantine Empire in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Following the conquest of the region by the Mongols ofHulagu Khan, grandson ofGenghis Khan, in the middle of the 13th century, a peace agreement was signed between the Armenian Church and theIlkhanate, and the Christians maintained an equable situation. The monastery was restored in the second half of the 13th century, and was completely rebuilt under the leadership of Zachariah in 1330. By the 14th and 15th centuries, the Saint Stepanos Monastery was at the height of its cultural and intellectual influence, producing paintings andilluminated manuscripts in religion, history, and philosophy.
In the early 15th century, the newSafavid dynasty protected the Armenians, but the region was at the center of the conflicts with theOttomans, who invadedWestern Armenia in 1513. The monastery gradually declined in the 16th century.Abbas the Great expelled the inhabitants of the region in 1604, and the monastery was abandoned. After 1650, the Safavids reoccupied the region and the abandoned monastery was restored in the latter part of the 17th century.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the region came under the expansion of theRussian Empire.Yerevan was conquered by the Russians in 1827, and per theTreaty of Turkmenchay, the border between Iran and Russia was subsequently established on the Araxes. Consequently, part of the population was forcefully displaced toRussian Armenia. TheQajar rulers continued to protect the Armenians, and encouraged the rebuilding of the Saint Stepanos Monastery between 1819 and 1825.
The monastery underwent several restorations in the 20th century.
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 | This article on anArmenian Apostolic church building is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | This article about a church building or other Christian place of worship in Iran is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
