Kurdshop – The Church of Mary, also known as "St. Mary" or the Church of Eastern Assyria, is one of the tourist attractions of Urmia, East part of Kurdistan. It is the second oldest church in the world after Bethlehem Church in Palestine.
The difference between this church and other churches is that its structure is very simple and there is nothing inside except a few images of Mary, Jesus, and their followers and some hand-painted parts. Therefore, we can say that it leads to increased emotional feelings.
The Naneh Maryam Church is an Assyrian monument in Urmia, the East part of Kurdistan. It was registered on October 22, 2013, in the list of national historical monuments of Iran.
The Naneh Maryam Church is one of the most unique places located west of Khayyam Street in Urmia.
History of the Naneh Maryam Church
The church dates back to the early years of Christ; at that time, the Sassanids were in power in Iran.
According to historical books, three Zoroastrian nuns, while praying in that temple, saw a star shining and moving to the east, and they saw it as a sign of Jesus' birth; they follow the star until they reach Jerusalem and see that their prophecy is true and that Jesus has been born. They return to their place and turn their Zoroastrian temple into a church. Or the temple will be converted into a church of St. Mary.
The names of two of the nuns were Mulkum and Bakht, and no information is available about the third. Their graves were in front of the church until 1915 when the Russian Orthodox moved them to a museum in Kyiv.
Another opinion about this religious place is that this church is known as the first church in the East. According to Assyrian and Christian writers, this place was used as a fireplace after its construction, which was one of the most famous Zoroastrian temples. After their conversion, the Christians turned it into a church.
Marco Polo is one of the most famous travelers in the world who visited this church and mentioned it in his travelogue.
The Naneh Maryam Church is one of the most attractive places in Urmia province, known as the Assyrian East.
The Construction of the Naneh Maryam Church
In the architecture of the Church, Naneh Maryam, one can see the architectural style of the Sassanid period. There are also symbols common to the Sassanid fire temple within the church building.
The architects of the church incorporated Sassanid and Parthian architecture into the building. No architectural beauty is conspicuous in this church, for the Assyrians avoided decorating and painting the churches.
The Naneh Maryam Church consists of two parts: the first part, the entrance, the prayer hall, and the surrounding rooms. The second section is another hall with a series of rooms to the right of the first hall.
The Naneh Maryam Church in Urmia, unlike other famous churches with high ceilings, has a low ceiling and people have to bow their heads when entering.
The courtyard of this church is spacious and large, with two doors facing Quds Street and an alley leading west. Inside the church, there are old handmade carpets that give the church kind of beauty.
The Church has been restored and rebuilt throughout history. The first restoration was made in 642 in the 7th century which historians believe was ordered by one of the Chinese princes.
At the same time, in 1342 (A.D. 1963), besides renovating the church, a new part was added. Interestingly, until the end of the 19th century, the color and appearance of the church was very simple, but after the arrival of the Russians fundamental changes were made and the building after restoration and reconstruction, is built in the style of Russian domes.
