From Tarsus to Rome
In the footsteps of Paul
Trace Paul’s recorded travels from Tarsus and Damascus through Cyprus, Anatolia and Greece to Malta and Rome, with Bible references and the stories behind later memorials.
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7 stops
Armenian Christian heritage
Follow Armenian Christian art and community history through seven churches and monasteries, from Jerusalem, Aleppo and Beirut to Iran.
Tiles, manuscripts and painted domes connect these places without making them alike. Jerusalem’s medieval cathedral honours two saints named James; Aleppo’s Forty Martyrs belongs to the old quarter of Jdeydeh; Isfahan’s Vank reflects both Armenian and Safavid traditions. Read across the region to discover distinctive communities and the art they preserved.
Notice what each community made its own: a saint’s dedication, a local artistic language or a remembered pilgrimage. Read relic traditions as traditions, distinct from building history.
Start this journeyWhere the stops are
The dots locate the stops. Their reading order is not a verified travel route or advice on access.
Stop 1 of 7
Saint James Cathedral
Jerusalem · Old City · Armenian Apostolic
CHURCH BUILDINGThe Armenian cathedral took shape in the twelfth century and honours two saints named James: the son of Zebedee and James, the Lord’s brother.
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John S Y Lee / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · resized for display Stop 2 of 7
Church of the Holy Archangels
Jerusalem · Old City · Armenian Apostolic
CHURCH BUILDINGThis Armenian church is mentioned by pilgrims from the fourteenth century; its original construction date is unknown.
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Beko / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized for display Stop 3 of 7
Forty Martyrs Armenian Cathedral
Aleppo · Jdeydeh · Armenian Apostolic
CHURCH BUILDINGThe Forty Martyrs Armenian Cathedral is a fifteenth-century Armenian Apostolic church in Jdeydeh, the old Christian quarter of Aleppo.
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Preacher lad / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized for display Stop 4 of 7
Cathedral of Saint Elias and Saint Gregory the Illuminator
Beirut · Armenian Catholic
CHURCH BUILDINGThis Armenian Catholic cathedral stands on Debbas Square in downtown Beirut.
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Jari Kurittu / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · resized for display Stop 5 of 7
Monastery of Saint Thaddeus
Qareh Kelisa · Armenian Apostolic
MONASTERYThis historic Armenian monastery has seventh-century origins and has been rebuilt repeatedly.
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MohammadReza Domiri Ganji / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized for display Stop 6 of 7
Saint Stepanos Monastery
Jolfa · Armenian Apostolic
MONASTERYRebuilt in the late seventeenth century, this fortified Armenian monastery overlooks the Aras gorge near Jolfa.
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Ali Setareh Gooranabad / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized for display Stop 7 of 7
Holy Saviour Cathedral (Vank)
Isfahan · Armenian Apostolic
CHURCH BUILDINGBuilt in 1655–1664, Holy Saviour Cathedral stands in Isfahan’s Armenian quarter of New Julfa.
Read the full profileBernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized for display
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Around the Sea of Galilee
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