The Surb Astvatsatsin Chapel – Dzordzor Monastery, Iran

An Armenian monastery of the 7th century Dzordzor (Ծոր Ծորի) is located in the territory of modern Iran in the province of Artaz. The Dzordzor chapel has been at its peak during the 14th-17th centuries when Shah Abbas forcibly moved Armenians to the center of Iran.

The Surb Astvatsatsin chapel is the only surviving structure of the monastery. It was built in the 9th-10th centuries (according to some sources, in the 14th century).

In 1987-1988, the old chapel was replaced by a new one, which was built 600 meters away from the original building. That was due to the beginning of the construction of the dam on the Makukai River.

On July 6, 2008, along with the monasteries of Surb Stepanos and Surb Tadevos, Dzordzor was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in the section “Armenian Churches of Iran”.