IranMap

Christ’s birth took place halfway through the period of Parthian rule in Iran (250 BC – 224 AD), a dynasty which allowed more freedom of religion than some of the later Persian rulers. At the time of the Sassanian dynasty (224 AD – 652 AD), although Christianity spread in western regions of the country, there were still periods of followers being persecuted, usually at times of conflict and war with Rome.

This had not been the case prior to the establishment of Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire.

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Later, the advent of Islam slowed any Christian expansion, but it was recognised as a protected minority. The Mongol conquest allowed a relative freedom of religious expression, and when some Mongol queens converted to Christianity, the possibility of a Christian revival arose.

In the nineteenth century, with the struggle over the Caucasus between the Qajar dynasty of Iran and the Russian Tsars, the Persian government sought to win the hearts of local Armenian and Georgian Christians, who otherwise might have been expected to favour their fellow Christians in Russia. Russia eventually prevailed and there was a mass migration of Armenian Christians from Azerbaijan towards present day Armenia.

The beautiful monastery and church of St. Thaddeus in Iranian Azerbaijan, described in this multimedia report and also known as the Black Church, has been restored several times over the centuries. Together with a few other remaining vestiges of Armenian Christian culture in the area, the church has now been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and given the title of the Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran.

This is not deep-sea fishing with trawlers working far from the coast: this is old-style in-shore fishing with curtain nets and tiny boats. The fish come to the fishermen, not the fishermen to the fish. But the equipment is expensive, and seasonal workers come from Afghanistan: this is serious business.

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The Caspian Sea (Persian: دریای مازندران یا دریای خزر) is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world’s largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of 371,000 square kilometres (143,244 sq mi) and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometres (18,761 cu mi). It is in an endorheic basin (it has no outflows) and is bounded by northern Iran, southern Russia, western Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and eastern Azerbaijan. It has a maximum depth of about 1,025 metres (3,363 ft). More information

Kandovan is an ancient village tucked away in the northwest corner of Iran at the foothills of Mount Sahand and near the city of Tabriz. What makes the village so unique is that its homes have been carved inside cone shaped rocks. The original substance for these unusual cone formations consisted of volcanic ash and debris from an eruption of Mount Sahand in the distant past. It was subsequently compressed and shaped into cone towers by natural elements over thousands of years. This hardened material is strong enough to function as the walls and floors of a house, whilst also providing efficient insulation against the harsh cold of the long winter as well as the summer heat.

Legend has it that Kandovan’s first inhabitants moved there in the 13th century to escape from the invading Mongol army. They dug hideouts in the volcanic rocks but eventually decided to settle in these caves which they gradually developed and transformed into multi-storey, permanent houses. Since then, many generations of their descendants have continued living in the same houses.

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The attractions of Kandovan, however, are not restricted to its unusual cave dwellings. It is located in a green and scenic valley where wild plants and particularly natural spring waters are reputed to have healing properties. The spring waters which are traditionally used to cure kidney problems draw many people from surrounding towns and beyond to this area. The combination of Kandovan’s natural landscape and resources, and above all the unique way in which its inhabitants have adapted to the environment, has made it a popular destination for visitors.

In this multimedia report, we are taken on a guided tour of the extraordinary cave dwellings of this unique village, perhaps the only one of its kind in the world.
Source: jadidonline.com