The Cathedral of the Holy Saviour, known as Vank Cathedral, is the most important Armenian Christian church in Iran and one of the most striking examples of the Jolfa district's heritage. Built in the early seventeenth century by Armenian merchants who settled in Isfahan under Shah Abbas I's encouragement, Vank's exterior blends Iranian architectural forms with Armenian Christian tradition. The interior is extraordinary: every surface is covered in frescoes and gilded stucco, depicting scenes from the Bible and from the Armenian massacres. An attached museum holds over 700 hand-written Armenian manuscripts and what is said to be the first book printed in Iran.
Vank Cathedral
Isfahan's Armenian cathedral with frescoed interior and manuscript museum