The Armenian Church of Holy Bethlehem in New Julfa

The photograph shows the interior decoration of the Armenian Church of Holy Bethlehem in New Julfa (Isfahan), Iran. The vaults are covered with blue and gold floral ornament, winged angel heads appear above, and below are two wall paintings with Armenian inscriptions. The left painting shows a group of people with a haloed woman in the centre; the right one shows a figure in a blue robe rising among clouds, surrounded by angels.

The church was opened in 1627 by Armenians whom Shah Abbas had forcibly resettled in New Julfa during the Safavid–Ottoman wars. The church holds 72 paintings by Armenian artists and motifs depicting the life of Christ.