Bethlehem Church (Bedkhem Church)
Bethlehem Church is located in the Maidan neighborhood, in a square of the same name near the Holy Mother complex. Church Bethlehem, which was built in 1628 with the help of Khajeh Peter Valijanian, underwent many changes following urban development plans.
Today, the complex is completely enclosed among the buildings that surround it. Also, the construction of the “adjacent” road, which began in 1935, changed the church’s original plan in general and has created the current situation of this complex.
A majestic entrance leads to the courtyard in the northwest corner, and adjacent to it are two burial halls that house several tombs.
About seventy tombstones and other memorial stones belonging to prominent figures and leaders of the Armenian community can also be seen around the courtyard.
On the south side of the courtyard, there is side entrance adjacent to a row of service rooms, which was previously part of the larger main complex. The main building of the church is located in the northeast corner.
This building has a rectangular plan and is made entirely of bricks. The entrance is located on the west wall and below the rows of columns that form the porch.
This entrance leads to a rectangular hall, to the right of which there is a staircase to the upper floor, which is made for women. Despite the rectangular hall, the middle part of the square hall is a replica of the classic model of the Armenian domed hall.
This dome is located on four half-columns in the sidewalls of the building and the largest dome of Armenian churches is in Julfa. There is also a pentagonal depression on either side of the two two-story shrines on the east side of the church hall. (Tripadvisor)
The interior of Bethlehem is richly decorated with ornaments: a round ceramic decorative plinth covers the bottom of all the sidewalls, which is in the local style of the seventeenth century.
The rest of the surface of the walls is also full of murals. These paintings are very valuable in terms of the beauty and originality of their subjects because unlike other architectural treasures that have been neglected, they are well protected.
The paintings of the sanctuary, which reflect the style of the Vaspurakan school of Armenian miniaturists, are very remarkable. The Church of the Holy Bethlehem was completely rebuilt in 1870 and 1899, and its fortification work began in 1984.
The view of the dome and the rich space of the decorations of the Church of Bethlehem 1628.
Interior and a mural depicting the baptism of Jesus. The interior of this church is a perfect combination of Iranian, Armenian, and European art, both in terms of its combination and in separate styles of paintings, decorations, and face painting.
The facade of the altar and the upper part of the church, the image of Jesus on the throne above this altar-dome, which is beautifully decorated, with the combination of the transient light from the wooden parts, which is traditional in Iranian and Armenian architecture, looks even more beautiful.
Which part of the Church is the most beautiful, the most amazing for you? please share with us.
