The Oldest Churches In Iran
Saint Sarkis Cathedral, which is the largest church in Tehran, has a length of 36.5 meters and a width of 17.8 meters. It is a single-nave church built out of concrete whose exterior and interior walls as well as the floor are covered with white marble. It was originally built without interior columns with the hexagonal dome borne just by its walls, but when the danger of the dome falling down was seen, four bearing columns were added. The church has a gallery for the choir from which hymns are performed. The church has two belfries with domes on top, one on each side of the entrance hall on the western side. The bells are pulled by electric power. The belfry domes as well as the main dome are decorated with octagonal rods. As in other Armenian churches, the half-circle altar is on the eastern side of the building. On both sides of the altar, there are vestries with side entrances. The walls above the altar and its two sides are covered with paintings showing Bible themes: Saint Mary with Jesus, the Ascension of Christ into Heaven, John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, and the Crucifixion of Jesus