Mar Yokhanna Church, Urmia

🕰️When was it built?

The church is attributed to the Sasanian period. Judging by its architecture and by Assyrian religious writings, it is dated to the 5th century CE. It was added to the National Heritage List in 1983.

🏛️What was it built for?

The building was a place of worship and pilgrimage for Assyrian Christians. The main space is small and leads to the altar. To appreciate it, look at this compact space and at how the walls and roof are built; ornate decoration is not what defines this church.

👀What you will see

• The main room is a simple rectangular box, small and plain inside.
• The fairly thick walls are of rubble stone and gypsum mortar; the stones are not uniform like bricks.
• A stone barrel vault, a long curved roof like half a cylinder, covers the main space.
• Gypsum plaster on the inner face and on the entrance facing the altar are among the details inside the church.

🎒Good to know before you go

• Wear suitable shoes for reaching a building on high ground, and ask about the way there and whether it is open before you set off.