Black and white stone, in alternating courses, climbs the walls of a church that stands alone on a hillside in the far north-west of Iran. The Armenians call it the monastery of Saint Thaddeus, and the Persians know it as Qara Kelisa, the black church, a name that comes from the dark stone of its lower walls. Tradition says that a chapel was founded here in the first century by the apostle Thaddeus, who was martyred nearby, and that this makes it one of the oldest places of Christian worship in the world. The buildings that stand today are mostly of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, rebuilt after an earthquake, and they are among the finest examples of Armenian architecture outside Armenia.
The setting is a high, treeless valley in West Azerbaijan province, with rolling brown hills, small fields and the occasional shepherd. Mount Ararat is not far to the north, and on a clear day you may see its snowy cone across the border in Turkey. The main chapel is built in a restrained, powerful style, with a conical dome and carved stone around the doors, and inside it is cool, plain and silent. The monastery is on UNESCO's list of Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, inscribed in 2008.
Every year, in July, Armenians from Iran and abroad make a pilgrimage here, and for a few days the place fills with people, food and singing. At other times, it can be a very quiet spot, with just a caretaker. If you visit, dress modestly, and ask before photographing inside.
Riding in this part of the country is demanding. The roads are mostly paved but narrow, winding and sometimes broken, and weather at this altitude shifts fast, with snow likely from late autumn through spring. The nearest large town is Maku, which has fuel and places to eat, and you should not count on finding any near the monastery itself. Travel rules for foreigners in Iran, especially with a motorcycle, are complicated, so check them well in advance and carry all paperwork. Late spring and early autumn are the best seasons.