Catholics in Isfahan (or Lack Thereof)

At one point there was a decent-sized Catholic community in Isfahan, but I could not find any functioning Catholic churches while I was there (though any information about Christians in general was very hard to come by).  In the Armenian Christian neighbourhood of Julfa there is a Catholic Street:

Lo and behold, there was a Catholic church at the end of the street.  Above you can make out the dome.

The entrance (note the male and female door knockers).

Apparently, the church was renovated in 1927.  My husband found the caretaker and was able to get us inside:

The caretaker told us that they are waiting on the Vatican to send an expert to approve and begin a new renovation.

Christmas in Iran

In honour of Christmas in July, here is a post about Christmastime in Isfahan.

 In New Julfa, the Armenian Christian neighbourhood of Isfahan, there were signs of Christmas around.  Shop windows were decorated for the season:

Even the locals were getting into the Christmas spirit:



Above is a tree set up in a luxury mall in Julfa (note the Dolce and Gabbana store!).

At the Vank (Armenian Orthodox) Cathedral the visitors were excited to take photos with the Christmas decor:

Even my inlaws were eager to take their photos with the Christmas decor!
 And several shops were selling Christmas gear:

We even bought some Christmas balls at this shop to add to the small tree we had brought from home.