Jolfa

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Lonely Planet review

Esfahan's Armenian quarter is Jolfa. It dates from the time of Shah Abbas I, who transported this colony of Christians from the town of Jolfa (now on Iran's northern border) en masse, and named the village 'New Jolfa'. Abbas sought their skills as merchants, entrepreneurs and artists - a look at the walls of Vank Cathedral reveals what he was after.

The Armenian Christians had their religious freedom respected, but they were restricted to this area across the river and kept away from the Islamic centres.