The Santa Maria Church is located in Ardebil. There is no information about the exact date of its construction, but the entrance door is inscribed with the year 1876, the year it was donated and installed. The overall appearance of the church’s brick building is rectangular, with the inner rectangular structure covered by four tall arches.
The building features striking arched doorways with an umbrella-shaped brick dome. Windows are built beneath the dome and in the walls to allow light into the church. There is a cemetery in the courtyard with a carved cross inscribed on the stone.
The church’s waterfall, located on the eastern side of the building, is adorned with motifs of cypress trees and vibrant green and orange flowers against a blue background. Some of the decorative elements beneath the church walls are striking. On the beautifully geometric-patterned wooden doors, the following sentence is written in Armenian script using cut pieces of wood: “This door is the true house of God, and was given by Agalos Melek Mirzalius as a memento to this holy church.” The church was in use until 1944, and in the same year, its last religious services and group prayers were held. Later, due to the emigration of Armenian families to Tabriz and Tehran, religious services were discontinued in this church. Currently, the adjacent building, including the bathhouse, has disappeared. The historic building has now been restored, and its function has changed.
