Jolfa

Jolfa is a customs and border town of Iran located on the south bank of the Aras border river. Jolfa borders connects to the north of Tabriz and the north of Marand in East Azarbaijan province. Jolfa is geographically important because it is located at the zero-border point and  is adjacent to the countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan. And most importantly  the access of  Jolfa to the national railway and its connection to Central Asia and the Caucasus  has made it an important transit city of Iran. Because of Jolfa’s favorable border location among the three countries of Iran , Azerbaijan and Armenia, it has  numerous border markets, shopping malls and many commercial complexes. The numerous monuments of Jolfa like various historical churches and inns, show the rich history of the city. Because of the special location of Jolfa in  Aras business district, it is considered as business center and commercial hub of Iran.

The St. Stepanos Monastery

Jolfa is known as the city of churches in Iran. The beautiful church of Saint Stepanos is one of the historical attractions of the city located in the heart of a hill overlooking the river Aras near the northwestern border of Iran. The Stepanos tradition, derived from the name Stepanos (or Stephen in Armenian), is the first martyr of Christianity , and there are numerous churches with the same name in most countries of the world.  St. Stephanus, or St. Stephen, is the first Christian martyr to be stoned to death in Jerusalem (died 36 ce,Jerusalem; feast day December 26). The historical and artistic value of this church made St Stepanos one of the three prominent Armenian churches of Iran. The Church registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006. As well the historical work was numbered 429 in the list of national monuments of Iran on March, 17, 1963.

Shepherd’s Church (Chapel of Choupan)
The is a small and historical Armenian church building in a mountain valley in west of Jolfa near the Aras River in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. It was built in the 16th century and rebuilt in 1836. The church is registered on UNESCO World Heritage list. It is also numbered 7743  as one of  national monuments of Iran on March 8, 2003. Shepherd’s Church or St. Andrew’s Church is from the Safavid era located on the way to St. Stepanos Monastery.

Khaje Nazar’s Caravanserai (Inn)
Khaje Nazar’s Caravanserai another attraction’s of Julf for tourists. It is registered as one of national monuments of Iran with number 7744 on March 8, 2003. This inn has a central courtyard and three porches on its three sides.  The material used for construction of the building are stone and brick. The structure has dome-shaped roofs with vaults.  The building’s plan  is rectangular and there are corridors to access the rooms. The length of the building is twice its width.

Historical Bath of Jolfa
The Jolfa bath belongs to the Qajar  era and is located next to the Customs Office in Jolfa. This work has been registered as one of the national monuments of Iran on  November 22, 1999 with registration number  2520. 

Kurdasht Bath
Historical Kurdasht Bath is one of the monuments of Kurdasht village in the central part of Jolfa city. It was a bathing house in the Safavid era and has been registered as one of the national monuments of Iran on  February 1, 2003 with registration number 1655.

Asiyab Kharabeh Waterfall ( Ruined Mill’s Waterfalls )
Asiyab Kharabeh waterfall is one of the most beautiful sights of East Azerbaijan. The water mill was made nearby a beautiful waterfall. It had been used by people in the past but because of overtime, much of it destroyed and lost its use. The existence of this mill has given the area its reputation as a ruin mill. Water of this waterfall originates from a beautiful and crystal spring of Kiamaki mountain.