The dome, towers, and spires of the Vank Cathedral are lit at sunset in the Jolfa district of the central Iranian city of Isfahan on Dec. 31, 2016.

The interior is richly decorated and covered with various gorgeous frescos and intricate tilework. The ceiling overhead the entrance is painted with delicate floral motifs in the style of Persian miniature.

Two bands of murals encircle the interior walls as the top section depicts events from the life of Jesus, while the bottom section depicts tortures inflicted upon Armenians martyred by the Ottoman Empire.

The historical monument was completed in the mid-17th century, dedicated to the tens of thousands of Armenian deportees who were resettled by Shah Abbas I during the 1603-1618 Ottoman–Safavid War.

(PHOTO: Tasnim/ Morteza Salehi)

AFM/MG