The New Julfa

Its history begins when in 1603, Persian king Shah Abbas ordered the displacement of the inhabitants of the city of Julfa, located on Ottoman territory. This forced emigration of some 300,000 Armenians from the Ottoman Empire, 1000km away, to Persia and Isfahan, its capital, gave a new economic boost to the Safavid Empire. Although they were Christians, Armenians enjoyed freedom of worship and certain prestige with the Shah. This situation allowed them to keep their identity by preserving their art and culture. Mainly artisans and traders, they founded colonies in India and as far as China. Today still, several Armenian churches, including the Holy Saviour's Cathedral, are meeting points for the Armenians of Iran.

From 10 to 16 December 2005, the historic cemetery of the ancient ""Julfa"" of the 17th century was wiped of the map. Located on territory controlled by Azerbaijan, the thousands of erected khachkars (tombstones) were knocked down, methodically broken and dumped into the nearby Aras river. Thus perished this archaeological site on the Unesco World Heritage List, the victim of the armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. There is no trace remaining. The cemetery has been turned into a military zone.

Frédéric Fringhian