Maragheh’s religious heritage and architectural legacy
Maragheh is a significant center for studying the architectural features of rock-cut religious sites. The establishment of a church at the Maragheh Observatory Hill is closely linked to the status of non-Islamic religious followers within the scientific complex and the religious policies of the Ilkhanids.
In an interview with ISNA, Saeed Satarnejad, a Ph.D. archaeologist from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Mohaghegh Ardebili University, emphasized that one of the main characteristics of historical sites in any region is their ritual spaces.
He noted that these spaces have long been regarded with interest, sanctity, and respect by socially devout groups committed to religious doctrines. From this perspective, Maragheh stands out as an exceptionally significant and enduring center for the study of hand-curved religious architecture in the history and culture of northwestern Iran. Understanding all aspects of this architecture can greatly enhance our knowledge of the religious beliefs of past communities in the region.
Satarnejad further explained that since Maragheh is considered one of the first political centers of the Ilkhanid period, it features worship spaces associated with various religions and sects, some of which have survived to this day.
He pointed out that the hand-carved church on the observatory hill is one of the region’s ritual spaces, commonly known among locals as the “Caves of the Observatory”. This architectural monument was created during the Ilkhanid period in the rocky terrain of the hill.
Satarnejad stated that the continuity and expansion of Christianity, unlike the teachings of other non-Islamic religions such as Buddhism, were influenced by the policies of Nestorian leaders in relation to subsequent Ilkhanid khans, particularly Ghazan Khan (Mahmoud). As a result, Christian followers maintained an active presence in the urban structure of Maragheh until the Qajar era, in contrast to Buddhists.
He added that understanding these religious spaces could significantly contribute to recognizing the reasons behind the persistence of certain non-Islamic religions, particularly Christianity, during that time. Therefore, to obtain comprehensive and reliable information about these events, efforts have been made to study the hand-carved church at the observatory hill, which serves as one of the important centers of these events. This involves field studies, including visits and documentation of the rock-cut spaces, as well as referencing written sources from the Islamic period to reach scientific conclusions.
This archaeologist noted that the results of this research, while introducing and recognizing the largest rock-cut church in Iran during the Ilkhanid period, are also significant for understanding the interactions between Islam and other Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic religions.