Mesrop Church, Mashhad

The Mesrop Church in Mashhad is also known as the Deh Day Square Church. This church is nearly 80 years old and dates back to the Pahlavi era. Currently, religious activities are not held in the Mesrop Church. This complex was registered in the country’s list of historical and cultural monuments on August 15, 2005.

Mesrop Church in Mashhad Mesrop Church in Mashhad
History:
It is interesting to know that Nader Shah Afshar first moved a number of Armenian and Jewish families to Mashhad. Then they settled in the Eidgah neighborhood.
Because Khorasan shared a border with Central Asia, many Christian merchants migrated to this region.
Later, Armenian merchants from Isfahan and Azerbaijan also moved to Khorasan.
They worked in jewelry, tailoring, cinema, and…
There was no church as a place of worship for Armenians in Mashhad.
They only worshiped in a small place around the Gonbad Sabz neighborhood.
For this reason, they thought of building a church on Arg Street in Mashhad.
The construction of the Mesrop Church began in 1317 and was completed in 1320.
Armenak Santorians, the secretary of the Armenian delegation of Mashhad, was able to receive the church document in 1333.
This church was active until a few years after the revolution.
However, with the migration of Armenians from Mashhad to Isfahan, Tabriz and Tehran, its activity became more and more limited.
So that now four Armenian families live in Mashhad and do not go to the church.
In 2005, the Mesrop Church in Mashhad was registered in the country’s historical and cultural monuments.
In 2017, a budget of 120 million Tomans was allocated for the restoration and reconstruction of the church.
Currently, the restoration of the roof, interior area, flooring and strengthening of the building has begun.
Architecture:
The substructure of the Mesrop Church building is about 300 square meters.
This building has two domes with a cross on them.
The larger dome is located in the middle of the building and has an iron cross.
The conical dome is located above the entrance to the church and its outer layer is like a gable roof.
In this church, an underground with numerous hatches to the outside was built to prevent moisture from penetrating.
For this reason, the floor of the church is higher than its area and is located at the western entrance of the stairs.
The bell tower is installed at the top of this staircase.
The church plan is rectangular in shape from east to west and its altar is located in the eastern part of it.
Skylights are also installed in the northern and southern walls of the building.
Features:
The bell installed at the western entrance stairs was brought to Mashhad from Isfahan. Because the Armenians in Mashhad were subordinate to the Caliphate of Isfahan.
A stone inscription is also located above the entrance door, which states the date of the church’s establishment in Armenian.
Currently, there are no other activities in this church except for individual or family ceremonies.
The Armenian school is also located next to the church, which is currently closed and is being demolished.
An old library is located in part of the courtyard of Mesrop Church. This library was built in 1340.
There are more than a thousand books in Armenian and Russian in it.
However, these books are being destroyed due to the moisture that has been absorbed from the floor and walls.

Did you know that there is a church with the same name in the cities of Arak and Rasht?

If you have already visited the Mesrop Church in Mashhad, please share your experience with other Easy Tour users.