Monastery of Saint Thaddeus
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
Saint Thaddeus Monastery, northwestern view | |
Interactive map of Monastery of Saint Thaddeus Սուրբ Թադեոս վանք | |
| Location | Qareh Kelisa, Chaldoran County, Iran |
| Part of | Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii), (vi) |
| Reference | 1262 |
| Inscription | 2008 (32nd Session) |
| Area | 40 ha (0.15 sq mi) |
| Buffer zone | 311 ha (1.20 sq mi) |
| Coordinates | 39°5′32″N 44°32′40″E / 39.09222°N 44.54444°E |
Monastery of Saint Thaddeus Location of Monastery of Saint Thaddeus in Iran | |
The Monastery of Saint Thaddeus (Armenian: Սուրբ Թադէոսի վանք, Surb Tadeosi vank; Persian: کلیسای تادئوس مقدس, Kelisā-ye Tādeus moghadas) is an Armenian monastery in a mountainous area of West Azerbaijan province, Iran. Although much of the present structure has been erected by Abbas Mirza in 1811, the monastery is one of the oldest church buildings in the world.
Also known as Kare Kilisa (the "Stone made Church"), this historic site is located approximately 20 kilometers from the town of Chaldiran in Iran, in the region historically referred to as Ancient Armenia in the East. The monastery and its distinctive Armenian conical roofs are visible from long distances.
The monastery is the site of the Pilgrimage of St. Thaddeus, which in 2020 was added by UNESCO to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.