TEHRAN – A team of cultural heritage experts has examined the architectural elements of 12 historical churches scattered across Tehran province.

Supervised by the Research Institute for Cultural Heritage and Tourism, the survey is aimed at enhancing the detailed knowledge of restoring churches constructed in the semi-arid Tehran province, Mehr reported on Saturday.

Any attempt to restore and renovate historical churches requires accurate knowledge of their original construction methods, cultural heritage expert Ahmad Mirzakouchalkhan-Khoshnevis said.

No intervention in this matter should be done with speculation, the expert said, adding “This phase of our study was aimed to introduce the details of old churches in Tehran.”

He also reminded the wide scope of Persian architecture across the country that sometimes makes it difficult even for experienced experts to choose precise technical solutions for restoration projects.

“It is necessary for researchers to fully comprehend scientific and rational reasons for using brick and stone in the construction of historical buildings.”

The study has found unique methods of utilizing brick, stone, and special mortars in the construction of historical churches in Tehran, the expert said.

“For each church, we collected information, including the list of materials and their dimensions and their architectural details.”

To the untrained eye, Iran’s earliest churches may seem modest structures to some, but they bear testimony to a vast panorama of architectural and decorative scenes associated with Armenian culture blended with other regional cultures: Byzantine, Orthodox, Assyrian, Persian, and Muslim.

AFM