The Only Historical Building Relocated in Iran (Dzordzor Chapel / St. Mary’s Church of Maku)
Located 20 kilometers from the city of Maku, near the village of Barun, stands a historical chapel enveloped in serene tranquility. Nestled at the mouth of a valley traversed by the Zangimar River, every stone of this monument carries historical tales and untold mysteries. Officially named the Church of Saint Mary, it is widely known as the Dzordzor Chapel.
Dzordzor Chapel or St. Mary’s Church of Maku
The exterior of this chapel is deceptively simple yet immensely valuable, earning it a place on Iran's National Heritage List and drawing international recognition through its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Positioned alongside the dam reservoir lake, the overall composition of Dzordzor Chapel creates a breathtaking landscape in the region.
Architecture of Dzordzor Chapel
Dzordzor Chapel features a cruciform floor plan, constructed—like contemporary Armenian churches of its era—using precision-dressed stones of varying dimensions. Both interior and exterior elevations showcase finely dressed ashlar masonry laid in clean course lines, with mortar joints completely concealed from view. Ancient stonemasons carved these ashlar blocks with interlocking dry-joint profiles to achieve high structural stability.
The exterior dimensions of the chapel measure 7.20 by 5.10 meters, with structural proportion analysis indicating a total height of 12.58 meters. Access to the interior is exclusively through the western entrance, where a metallic door ornamented with Armenian inscriptions and cross motifs welcomes visitors. Inside, four elliptical vault arches span the sanctuary, accompanied by four small skylight windows on each facade. A 16-sided dome surmounts the structure, featuring additional window openings integrated into its drum.
Cross Carvings on the Stone Facades of Dzordzor Chapel
The chapel exhibits minimalist architectural detailing, with its ornamentation limited to carved relief crosses on stone blocks and engaged decorative columns framing the window apertures, terminating in pointed arches.
Following the relocation of the chapel, damaged masonry elements from the original site were meticulously restored to preserve its authentic form.
The original site of Dzordzor Chapel was located in the valley bed of the Qarasu River, approximately 50 meters above the valley floor. In 1987, the Barun Dam reservoir project was initiated to supply water to the agricultural lands of the Maku plain. According to engineering plans, the chapel sat directly on the footprint of the dam's retaining wall and would inevitably be submerged upon reservoir flooding. Furthermore, excavation for diversion tunnels and blasting operations had already caused structural distress to the masonry.
To safeguard this irreplaceable monument, the executive management of Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization resolved to relocate the entire structure to higher ground. Authorized by the Ministry of Energy and executed in collaboration with Mahab Ghodss, Paymab, and regional water authorities, cultural heritage experts along with architects and specialists from Armenia executed the relocation. Within just 25 days, the chapel was moved to a rocky outcrop 110 meters higher and 600 meters away. Utilizing rigorous scientific methodologies, every individual stone block and masonry layer was cataloged and numbered for precise reassembly—an unprecedented engineering feat in the history of Iranian heritage conservation.
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