What it means
کلیسا (kelisâ) means “church”, Christian place of worship. Greek loanword (from ekklēsia, “assembly”), A2 vocabulary, sacred register. Iran’s Christian heritage dates to apostolic times; Armenian and Assyrian churches in Iran are among the oldest in the world.
How to use it
- کلیسای وانک (kelisâ-ye Vânk) “the Vank Cathedral” (Isfahan, Armenian)
- به کلیسا میروند (be kelisâ miravand) “They go to church”
- کلیسای قدیمی (kelisâ-ye qadimi) “an old church”
Common pairings
- مسیحی (masihi) “Christian”
- کشیش (keshish) “priest”
- انجیل (enjil) “Gospel, Bible”
- صلیب (salib) “cross”
- کلیسای ارمنی (kelisâ-ye armani) “Armenian church”
Religious context
From Greek ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia, “assembly, congregation”), entering Persian via Syriac. Iran has been home to Christian communities since the 1st century CE, Armenian, Assyrian (Church of the East), and Catholic. The کلیسای وانک (Vank Cathedral) in New Julfa, Isfahan, built in the 17th century by Armenians resettled by Shah Abbas, is a masterpiece of Persian-Armenian architectural fusion. Iran’s constitution recognizes Armenian and Assyrian Christians as protected minorities with parliamentary representation.
References
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