St. Mary Church, Urmia
Ancient Assyrian church in Urmia, Northern Iran, Iran From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Mary Church (Classical Syriac: ܥܕܬܐ ܕܩܕܝܫܬܐ ܡܪܝܡ ܥܕܬܐ, Persian: کلیسای ننه مریم) is an ancient Assyrian church located in the city of Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran.[1][2]
| St. Mary Church, Urmia | |
|---|---|
 St. Mary Church in Urmia | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Assyrian Church of the East |
| Location | |
| Location | Urmia, West Azarbaijan Province, Iran |
  Shown within Iran | |
| Geographic coordinates | 37°32′39.4″N 45°04′04.0″E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 1st/7th century |
Current old building of the church belongs to Sasanian era and its interior design is a combination of Sasanian and Arsacid architecture.
A Chinese princess, who contributed to its reconstruction in 642 AD, has her name engraved on a stone on the church wall. The famous Italian traveller Marco Polo also described the church in his visit.
Briefly prior to the World War I, it was converted by Russians to a Russian Orthodox church.
In early 1960s, the old church was restored and a modern church with a spire was built adjacent to the ancient church.
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