CHTHO Deputy Director Mohammad-Hassan Talebian made the remarks on the sidelines of the Qara Kelisa Complex annual religious ceremony of Armenians known as Badarak in Chaldoran, northwestern province of West Azarbaijan.
He added that the budget also would be allocated for repairing of Qara Kelisa.
Talebian reiterated that the historical identity of the churches should be preserved across the country, adding that CHTHO is trying to safeguard and introduce them by holding religious ceremonies.
He added that the Qara Kelisa (Black Church), or Thaddeus Church, which has been registered as the ninth international work, is known among the Armenians worldwide as St. Thaddeus.
The church is the oldest in the Christian world and dates back to the 7th century.
The Qara Kelisa Complex, which includes the three churches of Qara Kelisa, St. Stepanous and Zoorzoor, was registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2008.
Chaldoran is situated 220 km north of Orumyieh, capital of West Azarbaijan Province.
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Orumiyeh, West Azarbaijan, July 30, IRNA – Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) has allocated over 14 billion rials (around 429,435 dollars) for repair of the churches across the country which have been registered globally.
