Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran

UNESCO World Heritage Site
St. Thaddeus Monastery
Location	Iran
Includes	Monastery of Saint Thaddeus Monastery of Saint Stepanos Chapel of Chupan Darresham church Chapel of Dzordzor
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iii, vi
Reference	1262
Inscription	2008 (32nd Session)
Area	129.2819 ha
Buffer zone	655.0122 ha
St. Thaddeus St. Stepanos Dzordzor Locations of three primary ensembles within Iranian Azerbaijan

The Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan provinces in Iran. The site comprises three groups of Armenian churches that were established between the 7th and 16th centuries A.D.

The edifices—the St. Thaddeus Monastery, the Saint Stepanos Monastery, and the Chapel of Dzordzor—have undergone many renovations. These sites were inscribed on the World Heritage List in the 32nd session of the World Heritage Committee on 8 July 2008. The three ensembles lie in a total area of 129 hectares (320 acres) and were inscribed under UNESCO criteria (ii), (iii), and (vi) for their outstanding value in showcasing Armenian architectural and decorative traditions, for being a major centre for diffusion of Armenian culture in the region, and for being places of pilgrimage of the Apostle Thaddeus and Saint Stepanos, key figures in Armenian religious traditions. They represent the last vestiges of old Armenian culture in its southeastern periphery. The ensembles are in a good state of preservation.