New Julfa

Map of New Julfa (planimetry)

View of New Julfa

New Julfa was established in 1606 as an Armenian quarter by the edict of Abbas the Great, sultan of the Safavid dynasty. Over 150,000 Armenians were forcibly moved there from Old Julfa (also known as Jugha or Juła) (hy). Iranian sources state that the Armenians came to Iran fleeing the Ottoman Empire's persecution. Nevertheless, historical records indicate that the residents of Julfa were treated well by Shah Abbas in the hopes that their resettlement in Isfahan would be beneficial to Iran due to their knowledge of the silk trade.[1][2]

Since its foundation, New Julfa was administered by the Lazaryan noble family which moved to Russia after Nader Shah's death in 1747.[3] One of its members, Ivan Lazarev, became a court banker to Catherine the Great and was made an Imperial Count in 1788. His brother established the Lazarev Institute in Moscow.

In 1947, the historian Fernand Braudel wrote that the Armenians had a trade network that stretched from Amsterdam to Manila in the Philippines. Many scholars in Armenia have done pioneering work on this network in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Levon Khachikian and Sushanik Khachikian have edited and published several New Julfan account books. Over the next few centuries, New Julfa became the hub of "one of the greatest trade networks of the early modern era,"[4] with outposts as far east as Canton, Surabaya, and Manila,[5] and as far west as Cadiz, London, and Amsterdam, with a few merchants traveling across the Atlantic or Pacific oceans to Acapulco or Mexico City.

An old photograph of the Holy Savior Cathedral from the 1930s

A significant majority of Armenian trading families were based in New Julfa. Due to their dispersal, many families that were originally from the older city of Julfa[2][1][6] created a main settlement in Bengal expanding the trade network based in New Julfa.[1] However, Some scholars argue that Surat, Bengal and Hughli were independent nodes and that the central control of New Julfa was not as important to their thriving Indian Ocean trade.[5] Many New Julfan Armenians later settled in Manila, Hong Kong, and also in Australia. Their networks have been studied based on Armenian sources.[1][2] Some also settled in Singapore, where Armenians from New Julfa became the mainstay of the Armenian community in the country. Most were traders, but perhaps better known were the Sarkies (Ter Woskanian) brothers who founded Singapore's Raffles Hotel in 1887.

A Christmas shop in New Julfa

New Julfa is still an Armenian-populated area with an Armenian school and sixteen churches, including the Holy Savior Cathedral. Armenians in New Julfa observe Iranian law with regard to clothing, but retain a distinct Armenian language, identity, cuisine, and culture which is protected by the Iranian government.[7]

According to David Petrosyan of the Institute for Central Asian and Caucasian Studies, New Julfa had 10,000–12,000 Armenian inhabitants in 1998.[8] As of today, it is still one of the world's largest ethnic Armenian quarters.

The statues at the entrance of the Museum of Khachatur Kesaratsi

Statue of Khachatur Kesaratsi, founder of the first publishing house in Iran

Statue of Mesrop Mashtots, the inventor of the Armenian alphabet

• Apcar family – merchant family
• Sceriman family – merchant family
• De l'Estoile family – merchant family
• Lazarian family (ru) – noble family
• Sarkies Brothers – businessmen
• Khvajeh Safar (d. 1618) – mayor of Julfa
• Martin the Armenian (hy) (d. 1619) – first Armenian-American / Iranian-American
• Mesrop of Khizan (c. 1560 – c. 1652) – manuscript illuminator
• Stepanos Dzik Jughayetsi (hy) (1583–1647) – writer
• Khachatur Kesaratsi (1590–1646) – archbishop and publisher (hy)
• Khvajeh Petros Velijanian (fa) (d. 1649) – merchant
• Simeon Jughayetsi (ru) (d. 1657) – scholar
• Hakob IV of Julfa (hy) (1598–1680) – Catholicos (1655–80)
• Mirman Mirimanidze (17th century) – mayor of New Julfa
• Otar Beg (1583–1663) – mayor of New Julfa
• Hakop Jughayetsi (ru) (17th century) – manuscript illuminator
• Siet Khachikian (hy) (17th century) – diplomat
• Grigor Usta (hy) (17th century) – architect
• Kostand Jughayetsi (hy) (17th century) – scholar
• Marcara Avanchintz (17th century) – merchant
• Minas (hy) (17th century) – painter
• Hovhannes Jughayetsi Ktreshents (hy) (c.1610–c.1660) – publisher
• Minas Jughayetsi (hy) (1610–1670) – painter
• Mohammad Beg (d. 1671) – mayor of New Julfa
• Voskan Yerevantsi (1614–1674) – publisher
• Hajji Piri (d. 1694) – mayor of New Julfa
• Bogdan Saltanov (1630–1703) – painter
• Hovhannes Mrkouz (hy) (1643–1715) – philosopher
• Egaz Norjughayetsi (hy) (1650–1734) – musician
• Ghul Arzuni (hy) (1650–1750) – musician
• Arapiet di Martin (hy) (1650–1760) – musician
• Stepanos Dashtetsi (ru) (1653–1720) – writer
• Abgar Ali Akbar Armani (d. 1708) – merchant
• Alexander I of Julfa (d. 1714) – Catholicos (1706–14)
• Petros di Sargis Gilanents (ru) (d. 1724) – merchant
• Hagopdjan de Deritchan (d. 1726) – diplomat
• Coja Petrus Uscan (1680–1751) – merchant
• Aghazar di Khachik (hy) (1690–1750) – military man
• Aghazar Lazarian (hy) (1700–1782) – merchant
• Zaccaria Seriman (it) (1709–1784) – writer
• Tovmas Khojamalian (hy) (c.1720–1780) – historian
• Shahamir Shahamirian (1723–1798) – political activist
• Stefano Domenico Sceriman (it) (1729–1806) – writer
• Ivan Lazarevich Lazarev (1735–1801) – jeweller
• Petros Kalantarian (hy) (1735–1???) – physician
• Minas Lazarian (hy) (1737–1809) – politician
• Astvadsatour Babikian (hy) (1738–1825) – writer
• Khachatour Lazarian (hy) (1741–1774) – politician
• Hovakim Lazarian (hy) (1743–1826) – political activist
• Movses Baghramian (18th century) – political activist
• Tadevos Soginian (hy) (18th century) – political activist
• George Manook (1763–1827) – merchant
• Markar Khan Davidkhanian (19th century) – minister of finance
• Hakob Hovnatanyan (1806–1871) – painter
• Tadevos Avetoumian (hy) (1811–1863) – writer
• Zerouni Masehian (fa) (1811–18??) – goldsmith
• Megrtich Emin (ru) (1815–1890) – scholar
• Minus Megerdich Zorab (1833–1896) – painter
• Tiruhi Ter-Nahapetian (hy) (19th century) – artist
• Mirza Malkam Khan (1834–1908) – politician
• Martiros Khan Davidkhanian (1843–1905) – general
• Sarkis Khan Davidkhanian (1846-) – general
• Eskandar Khan Davidkhanian – professor and general
• Vittoria Aganoor (1855–1910) – poet
• Minas Manook Basil (Barseghian) (hy) (1857–1922) – physician
• Diana Abgar (1859–1937) – diplomat
• Matevos Aghakhan Karakhanian (fa) (1860–1946) – photographer
• Arathoon Stephen (1861–1927) – businessman
• Hovsep Mirzayan (hy) (1868–1935) – politician
• Mesrovb Jacob Seth (1871–1939) – scholar
• Hovhannes Abkarian (fa) (1875–1931) – musician
• Tigran Abgarian (hy) (1877–1950) – philologist
• Petros Abkar (fa) (1884–19??) – politician
• Megrdich Abgar (hy) (1884–1967) – archbishop
• Mkrtich Hakobian (hy) (1885–1971) – photographer
• Minas Patkerhanian (hy) (1885–1972) – photographer
• Markar Galstiants (fa) (1888–1985) – architect
• Yeghia Velijanian (hy) (1889–1976) – artist
• Guregh Israelian (1894–1949) – Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem (1944–49)
• Zabel Stepanian-Bartev (fa) (1894–1982) – telegraph technician
• Karo Minassian (hy) (1897–1973) – physician
• Meguertitch Khan Davidkhanian (1902–1983) – general and politician
• Haykush Ter-Martirosian (hy) (1905–1987) – actress
• Bersabe Hovsepian (hy) (1906–1999) – public figure
• Rafael Atayan (hy) (1907–1990) – writer
• Poghos Petrosian (hy) (1907–19??) – bishop
• Abraham Gurgenian (hy) (1908–1991) – painter
• Annik Shefrazian (1909–1996) – actress
• Aramais Aghamalian (1910–1985) – film director
• Johny Baghdasarian (fa) (1913–1979) – film director
• Sumbat Der Kiureghian (1913–1999) – painter
• Yervand Nahapetian (fa) (1916–2006) – painter
• Emma Abrahamian (fa) (b. 1919) – sculptor
• Alain John (1920–1943) – sculptor
• Alenush Terian (1920–2011) – astronomer and physicist
• Levon Minassian (fa) (1920–2013) – scholar
• Sevak Saginian (fa) (1921–2003) – politician
• Clara Abkar (hy) (1922–1996) – painter
• Hrand Ghoukasian (fa) (1927–1996) – physician and translator
• Arsham Yesayi (fa) (b. 1931) – tennis player
• Neshan Sarkissian (Karekin I) (1932–1999) – Prelate of the Diocese of New Julfa (1971–75), Catholicos of Cilicia (1983–94) and Catholicos of All Armenians (1994–99)
• Nechan Karakéhéyan (b. 1932) – Catholic bishop of New Julfa (2000–05)
• Krzysztof Penderecki (b. 1933) – "Poland's greatest living composer"
• Nikol Faridani (1935–2008) – photographer
• Grish Davtian (hy) (b. 1935) – poet
• Alek Ter-Khachatourian (fa) (b. 1935) – translator
• Grigor Nazarian (hy) (b. 1937) – architect
• Varouj Karapetian (fa) (b. 1938) – film technician
• Arbi Hovhannisian (hy) (b. 1942) – film director
• Sako Ghoukasian (fa) (1943–2015) – opera singer
• George Bournoutian (b. 1943) – scholar
• Megerdich Toumanian (hy) (b. 1943) – mathematician
• Vartan Vartanian (fa) (b. 1943) – politician
• Nelson Shirvanian (hy) (1944–2018) – sculptor
• Tigran Toumanian (fa) (b. 1946) – film technician
• Armen Der Kiureghian (b. 1947) – scholar
• Herach Khachatourian (fa) (b. 1948) – politician
• Caro Lucas (1949–2010) – scholar
• Zaven Ghoukasian (fa) (1950–2015) – film director
• Masis Hambarsounian (b. 1950) – boxer
• Georgik Abrahamian (fa) (b. 1952) – politician
• Artavazd Baghoumian (fa) (b. 1953) – politician
• Jirayr Kocharian (hy) (b. 1955) – cartographer
• Hrant Markarian (b. 1958) – politician and chairman of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
• Robert Beglarian (b. 1961) – politician
• Vahik Trossian (fa) (b. 1967) – football player
• Nairy Baghramian (b. 1971) – visual artist
• Aren Davoudi (b. 1986) – basketball player
• Oshin Sahakian (b. 1986) – basketball player
• Kajayr Hakopian (hy) (b. 1989) – actor
• Armen Tahmazyan (b. 1990) – football player

New Julfa has friendly relations with:[9]

• Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

• 
  Entrance of the Vank Cathedral.
• 
  Inside the Vank Cathedral.
• 
  Inside the Surp Bethłehem Church.
• 
  Vank Cathedral.
• 
  Surp Nikołayos Hayrapet Church.

• Armenians in Iran
• List of Armenian ethnic enclaves

• Yves Bomati and Houchang Nahavandi,Shah Abbas, Emperor of Persia,1587-1629, 2017, ed. Ketab Corporation, Los Angeles, ISBN 978-1595845672, English translation by Azizeh Azodi.
• Gregorian, Vartan. “Minorities of Isphahan: The Armenian Community of Isphahan, 1587-1722.” Iranian Studies 7, no. 2 (1974), pp. 652–81.
• Aslanian, Sebouh (2011). From the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean: The Global Trade Networks of Armenian Merchants from New Julfa. California: University of California Press. pp. 1–392. ISBN 978-0520947573.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to New Julfa.

• Deportation of Armenians to Iran
• Iranian Armenians
• List of Armenian ethnic enclaves
• New Julfa Armenian Cemetery
• Armenian Cemetery in Old Julfa
• Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Isfahan and Southern Iran
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ispahan
• Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Isfahan
• Apcar and Company

• Iran Chamber Society: Historical Churches of Iran
• Armeniapedia: Isfahan
• New Julda, To be..., directed by Arsen Gasparyan – Hayk Documentary Film Studio (in Armenian)
• Julfa in Isfahan - Armenian Churches and Armenians in Iran (Video)
• Armeniapedia: Hin Jugha
• معماری کلیساهای اصفهان – فصلنامه فرهنگی پیمان (in Persian)