The Emergence of the Armenian Diocese of New Julfa in the Seventeenth Century

This book explores the history of one of the largest, most prosperous and influential sees of the 17th century Armenian Church. Created in 1605 and centered in New Julfa, near Isphahan, the capital of Safavid Iran, it played a prominent role in the religious, administrative and cultural life of the Armenian church for almost a century. Primarily based on archival materials, as well as Armenian, Persian and Western primary sources, the diocese of New Julfa is studied here for the first time as the religious institution of the largest non-Muslim minority in Iran.