The Holy Bethlehem Church in New Julfa

The Holy Bethlehem Church is an Armenian Apostolic church in the New Julfa quarter of Isfahan and one of the city’s important historic churches. It was built in the time of Abbas I and completed in 1627 by an Armenian merchant named Khoja Petros. The church stands on Julfa Square near the Church of Saint Mary.

The walls hold 72 paintings of the life of Jesus by Armenian artists, arranged in 2 rows. Notable are the gilded decoration of the dome and the Armenian inscriptions of 1627 and 1711 in memory of the church’s benefactors.

The photograph shows the interior, with the dome and walls covered in paintings and gilded ornament, and hanging chandeliers.