CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE CONTINUES IN ISLAMIC IRAN
By Stuart Williams – CHALDORAN, Iran

Middle East Online, UK
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July 24 2007

Every summer thousands of Armenian pilgrims from Iran descend on
Qareh Kelisa for three days of worship.

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.

It’s only 9:00 am but the early morning chatter of the pilgrims
emerging from their tents is joined by joyful sounds of an accordion
which has struck up accompanied by a drum.

Arms aloft, two other men surround the musicians in a traditional
dance, joined immediately by two women who kick their legs and twirl
their hands in time to the music.

The authorities allow the Armenians considerable freedom in celebrating
the ritual and the Islamic dress rules that everyone normally has to
obey in public in Iran are relaxed.

Women walk around in T-shirts without the headscarves that are
obligatory everywhere else in Iran, although they cover their heads
in church.

"We are free here to make our prayers and do as we wish. The government
organisations help us to feel really free. Nobody bothers us here,"
said Gevork Vartanian, one of two MPs who represent Iranian Armenians
in parliament.

It is not possible for Muslims to attend the pilgrimage without
a special reason. Checks are carried out by Armenian staff on the
only road into the church where local government officials are also
in attendance.

Beyond that line, visitors enter, for that weekend at least, a
distinctively Armenian Christian world.

"People come here from all over the world for this ceremony. We
welcome all Christian people," said Vartanian.

"The authorities carry out this work of separation in order for us
to be free," he added.

The campers play Armenian "rabiz" music and have brought copious
amounts of food to indulge in one of the most Armenian of passions —
the "khorovats" or open-air barbecue.

"What I like is that our youth comes here regardless of whether their
main purpose is religious, historical or social. People get to know
one another here," said Rene Ahour, a freelance filmmaker from Tehran.

Iran has always emphasised it gives its Christian, Jewish and
Zoroastrian religious minorities full freedom of worship.

The presence of Armenians in northern Iran dates back thousands of
years and Persian Shah Abbas famously brought hundreds of Armenian
craftsmen to his imperial capital of Isfahan in the 17th century.

The entrance to Qareh Kelisa is adorned with pictures of two Armenian
patriarchs flanking images of Iran’s modern leaders — President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and late
revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

But an official message pinned to the church from the Lebanon-based
head of the Armenian church, Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I, emphasised
the foremost importance of the ritual.

"Our religion and our culture are interwoven together and must be
preserved. By being Christian, Armenians have preserved their strength
throughout history. This pilgrimage should be looked upon as a duty
to keep Armenian unity."