Christian pilgrimage holds strong in Islamic Iran
Stuart Williams AFP
July 24, 2007

CHALDORAN, Iran -- The tents of thousands of pilgrims dot the hillside, the air is heavy with the scent of incense, and the sounds of the church bell toll across the valley.

This is the Armenian Christian pilgrimage marking the feast of the 1st century missionary St. Thaddeus, deep in the northwestern mountains of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Every summer for the past half-century, thousands of Armenian pilgrims from Iran and beyond have descended on the remote Qareh Kelisa (black church) for three days of worship and relaxation with fellow Armenians.

It may seem remarkable that such a tradition holds strong in one of the world's most strictly Islamic countries, but Iran is home to hundreds of thousands of Armenians and a string of historically important churches. the rest