St. Astvatsatsin [Holy Mother of God] Church :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

St. Astvatsatsin [Holy Mother of God] Church

Iran / Western Atrpatakan / Salmast / Sheytanava

Historical Introduction

A record of 1896 states that the Sheytanava church of Holy Mother of God, built of mud and covered with wood, and also known as a pilgrimage site, was founded in 1708. The church was referred to in 1864, in 1890, and in 1905.

Palouny, “A Letter from Persia,” Nor-Dar, no. 216, 10 December 1896, p. 3.
National Archives of Armenia, fund 429, list 1, file 100, p. 102.
Գորոյեանց Ն., Պարսկաստանի հայերը [N. Goroyants, The Armenians of Persia] (Tehran, 1968), p. 183.
Materials for the History of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Party, vol. 4, p. 267.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 523.

The bell-ringing was banned in the church and the pilgrimage day was celebrated on the holiday dedicated to Holy Mother of God.

Աթայեան Ա., Սալմաստ [A. Atayan, Salmast] (New Jugha, 1906), pp. 53, 182.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 524.

At the end of December 1914, the building was given to fire: “Holy Mother of God Church (a pilgrimage site) and ... also the hall, are burnt. It is done by the local Turks.”

The Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey, vol. 3, p. 376.
Karapetian. Samvel, History of Armenia, Salmast, vol. 2, Yerevan, 2019, p. 524.

In 2017, it was found out that in the place of the bygone church and cemetery (N 38°09°59.82°°; E 044°49°28.92°°) orchards were planted long ago. The territory where once stood the village is covered by the orchards as well.