Armenian tradition holds that St. Thaddeus, one of the twelve apostles, evangelised the region of northwestern Persia and Armenia and shall have suffered martyrdom finally. Legend also holds that some of his disciples founded a monastery dedicated to the saint in year 68 AD. If true, the St. Thaddeus Church close to the border of Iran and Turkey would be one of the oldest still standing churches in the world. Although, the current structure dates back ‘just’ to the 13th century, the site is very impressive. Far away from any larger settlement, between mountains that open into a wide range, one can easily sense the place’s spirit & mystery.
