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TEHRAN: 5 Iranian Churches Put Up for UNESCO Registration

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  • TEHRAN: 5 Iranian Churches Put Up for UNESCO Registration

    5 Iranian Churches Put Up for UNESCO Registration

    Cultural Heritage News, Iran
    Jan 23 2007

    Photo: St. Thaddeus Church or Qara Kelisa (Black Church) Iran's
    Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) completed the file
    of Qara Kelisa alongside four other Iranian churches to be submitted
    to UNESCO for world registration.

    Tehran, 23 January 2007 (CHN Foreign Desk) -- In an attempt to inscribe
    ancient Iranian churches in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in
    2008, experts of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization
    (ICHTO) have prepared a dossier on St. Thaddeus Cathedral also
    known as Qara Kelisa (The Black Church) in West Azarbaijan province,
    alongside 4 other churches including Saint Stepanos in Khoy, Zoorzoor
    in Chaldoran, Choopan and Mary Darehsham to be submitted to UNEESCO
    next week for further studies.

    Announcing this news, Mohammad Hassan Khademzadeh, expert of ICHTO and
    director of the mega project for documenting the file of Qareh Kelisa
    and its adjacent historic monument, said: "The files of these five
    churches have been completed and will be submitted to UNESCO's World
    Heritage Committee within two days and the committee will announce
    its final decision on these files in April 2007."

    If the files win UNESCO's approval, the International Council on
    Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) will dispatch a team of experts to
    Iran to make a visit to these monuments and prepare a report on
    their conditions.

    Qara Kelisa had previously been nominated by Iran for UNESCO world
    registration in 2007; however, the file was rejected due to lack of
    substantial documents.

    If UNESCO agrees with putting Qara Kelisa in its list of World Heritage
    Sites, Qara Kelisa would be the ninth Iranian monument in this list
    and the four other churches alongside Ziaolmolk Bridge and Khajeh
    Caravanserai would be as annexes to St. Thaddeus Cathedral after
    its registration.

    The St. Thaddeus Church, locally known as Qara Kelisa or the Black
    Church, is considered one of the oldest churches in the world, whose
    construction began 1700 years ago. Historians believe that the Church
    is the tomb of Thaddeus who is said to have been one of Christ's
    disciples who traveled to Armenia, then part of the Persian Empire,
    for preaching the teachings of Christ.

    This church has a worldwide reputation among the Armenian Christians
    of the world and every year a large number of Armenians come to this
    church for performing religious rituals.

    Soudabeh Sadigh [email protected]

    http://www.chnpress.com/news/? section=2&id=6954

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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