New Julfa is the Armenian Quarter of Isfahan, located along the south bank Zayande River.  It was established in 1606 as an Armenian Quarter by the edict of Shah Abbas 1 from the Safavid Dynasty and was named after the Armenian city of Julfa, Nakhichavan.   Some 150,000 Armenians fleeing the Ottoman Empire’s persecution were moved to New Julfa. Shah Abbas was happy to welcome the Armenians and made them welcome, partly because he wanted his domain to benefit from their knowledge of and involvement in the Silk Trade.  The New Julfa Armenians prospered and spread across the world with a major settlement in Bengal, with others moving to Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.  Others established themselves in Cadiz, London and Amsterdam and a few ventured as far as Acapulco and Mexico City.  Perhaps the best known of these were the Sarkies (Ter Woskanian) brothers who founded Singapore’s iconic Raffles Hotel. 

 New Julfa remains one of the world’s largest ethnic Armenian Quarters with an Armenian School, sixteen churches and the Holy Saviour Cathedral. 

Back to Daily Reports