In the central part of Tehran, a new metro station has opened in honor of the Armenian Christian community of Iran, local media report. The “Maryam-e Moghaddas” (“Blessed Virgin Mary”) station is located a few minutes’ walk from the Cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church, “Saint Sarkis”. The metro station’s design includes panels on Christian themes.
According to the Telegram channel “Sepah Pasdaran,” the station received its name in honor of the old Armenian church located nearby. Initially, the station was planned to be named “Shahid Nejatollahi,” in memory of a university lecturer who died at the end of the 1970s during the period of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. However, last year the metro management decided, out of respect for Christians, to name the station “Maryam-e Moghaddas.”
And this happens in a country often called in the West a stronghold of Islamic fundamentalism. Can you imagine something similar in “civilized” Israel? Of course not. And even more sadly — it is impossible to imagine this in Moscow.
As reported to “RIA Novosti” by the station’s designer, Tanya Tarigmehr, the seven panels decorating the interior space are dedicated to various Christian concepts and the life of the Virgin Mary and contain elements with symbolic significance for Christians. She clarified that the wall visible to passengers when descending the first escalator into the metro is decorated with six verses from the famous Qur’anic Sura “Maryam,” and the inscription “In the name of God,” which is traditionally placed above the entrance of all Tehran metro stations, differs on this station from others because it is written in four languages: English, Arabic, Persian, and Aramaic.
It should be added that the contemporary Iranian Armenian diaspora in its institutional form has about four centuries of history. Its formation is connected both with ancient migration processes and with resettlements initiated by Persian shahs, primarily during the Safavid period.
According to official data, today about 200,000 Armenians live in the Islamic Republic of Iran. At the same time, according to independent estimates, their actual number may be closer to 100,000, which is explained by waves of emigration, especially active after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Despite the decrease in numbers, the Armenian community maintains political representation: according to the Constitution of Iran, Armenians are allocated two seats in the Majlis (Parliament of Iran).
