Armenian Merchant Patronage of Early Modern Iran

The prosperity of Armenian merchants as exporters of Iran’s silk fueled commissions of magnificent churches, chapels and mansions in 17th-century New Julfa, an urban extension of the Safavid capital at Isfahan, Iran. Armenian merchant wealth also supported scriptoria and workshops producing finely illustrated manuscripts and luxury goods to be enjoyed locally and exported via diplomatic and economic channels. This talk examines the phenomenal investment in art and architecture as an expression of the social aspirations and devotional life of New Julfa’s affluent mercantile families