St. Mary Church, Urmia
| St. Mary Church, Urmia | |
|---|---|
West Azarbaijan Province, Iran | |
  Shown within Iran | |
| Geographic coordinates | 37°32′39.4″N 45°04′04.0″E / 37.544278°N 45.067778°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 1st/7th century |
St. Mary Church (
Current old building of the church belongs to Sasanian era and its interior design is a combination of Sasanian and Arsacid architecture.
A Chinese princess, who contributed to its reconstruction in 642 AD, has her name engraved on a stone on the church wall. The famous Italian traveller Marco Polo also described the church in his visit.
Briefly prior to the World War I, it was converted by Russians to a Russian Orthodox church.
In early 1960s, the old church was restored and a modern church with a spire was built adjacent to the ancient church.
See also
- Iranian Assyrians
References
- ^ "St. Mary Church – Urmia - Iran Tourism". travital.com. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
- ^ www.sirang.com, Sirang Rasaneh. "Church of Saint Mary (Naneh Maryam) 2022 | Orumieh, West Azerbaijan | Sights - ITTO". itto.org | Iran Tourism & Touring. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint Mary Assyrian Church (Urmia).
