▁Province ), ▁deeper ▁into ▁main land ▁Iran . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁sevent e enth ▁century , ▁some ▁ 1 9 , 0 0 0 ▁converted ▁Catholic ▁Armen ians ▁were ▁living ▁in ▁three ▁towns ▁and ▁twelve ▁villages ▁in ▁the ▁N akh ch ivan , ▁Ern jak ▁and ▁Jah uk ▁regions , ▁and ▁had ▁ten ▁Catholic ▁churches ▁to ▁serve ▁them . ▁When ▁the ▁Saf avid ▁Empire ▁started ▁to ▁decl ine , ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁King ▁S ule iman ▁I ▁( 1 6 6 6 – 1 6 9 4 ), ▁the ▁situation ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Armen ians ▁of ▁N akh ch ivan ▁d eter ior ated . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁increasing ▁religious ▁int ol er ance ▁and ▁mis rule ▁by ▁government al ▁officials , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁C athol ics ▁of ▁Nak ch ivan ▁had ▁to ▁convert ▁to ▁Islam . ▁The ▁remaining ▁minor ity ▁either ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁Apost ol ic ▁Church , ▁or ▁migr ated ▁to ▁S my r na , ▁Constantin ople , ▁B urs a ▁and ▁other ▁towns ▁in ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 3 9 , ▁the ▁Saf av ids ▁and ▁the ▁Ott om ans ▁concluded ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Zu hab . ▁Eastern ▁Armen ia ▁was ▁re conf ir med ▁as ▁being ▁an ▁Iran ian ▁domain , ▁whereas ▁Western ▁Armen ia ▁was ▁ir rev oc ably ▁lost ▁to ▁the ▁Ott om ans