DAR AL HARB/ISLAM - IRAN: ARMENIAN CHRISTIANS & THEIR PILGRIMAGE TO QAREH KELISA

Christian pilgrimage continues in Islamic Iran
Every summer thousands of Armenian pilgrims from Iran descend on Qareh Kelisa for three days of worship.
By Stuart Williams - CHALDORAN, Iran

The tents of thousands of pilgrims dot the hillside, the air is heavy with the scent of incense and the sounds of the church bell toll across the valley.

This is the Armenian Christian pilgrimage marking the feast of the 1st century missionary St Thaddeus, deep in the northwestern mountains of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Every summer for the past half century, thousands of Armenian pilgrims from Iran and beyond have descended on the remote Qareh Kelisa (black church) for three days of worship and relaxation with fellow Armenians.

It may seem remarkable that such a tradition holds strong in one of the world's most strictly Islamic countries, but Iran is home to hundreds of thousands of Armenians and a string of historically important churches.

"This is a gathering point which brings people together in one place. It creates solidarity among Armenians from both inside and outside Iran and is the most important date in the calendar," said Hayk Norouzian, a handicrafts dealer from Tehran.

This year up to 4,000 pilgrims, mainly from Iran, neighbouring Armenia and Arab countries with important Armenian populations like Lebanon and Syria have pitched their tents on the hillside to mark the event.

They filled the church -- Iran's most important Christian monument which dates back to early decades of the faith -- for the climax of the weekend, a church service attended by the patriarchs of Tehran and Tabriz.

"The most important thing is that in a Muslim nation we have preserved this church," said Ani, 32, a female computer scientist and choir singer.

"It is a point of pride that in this country we have this church. The government of Iran values it and appreciates it," she said.

The church, built on the site of St Thaddeus' grave after he was slain by a pagan king, has withstood over one-and-a-half millennia of wars and earthquakes to dominate this landscape.
Its distinctively Armenian pyramidal cupolas and mighty defensive walls perch on a mountain ridge in the north of Iran's West Azarbaijan province, just 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the border with Turkey.

But the pilgrimage is not only about religion -- it also offers Armenians separated by national borders the chance to come together and celebrate their culture.

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1) Christian pilgrimage continues in Islamic Iran