Press TV, Iran
July 19 2009

Qara Kelisa calls off ceremony to honor crash victims

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:10:37 GMT

Qara Kelisa has cancelled its annual ceremony in honor of the victims
of the tragic plane crash, which left 168 people dead.

Every year scores of Armenians, Assyrians and Catholics from Iran and
other countries visit the church located in Iran’s West Azarbaijan
Province to commemorate the martyrdom of Saint Thaddeus and his
faithful followers.

Qara Kelisa is believed to be the world’s first church constructed in
68 CE by Saint Thaddeus, who traveled to Armenia, then part of the
Persian Empire, to preach the teachings of Christ.

According to the Cultural heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism office of
West Azarbaijan Province, this year’s ceremony has been cancelled to
honor the memory of those killed in the crash.

Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 went down near the city of Qazvin on
Wednesday on its way to Armenia, after reportedly catching fire
mid-air and plunging into farmlands, killing all 168 people onboard
just 16 minutes after take-off.

Seven of the passengers were Armenian and Georgian nationals and the
remaining 161 were Iranian.

TE/HGH