aster y ▁ ▁is ▁ ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁J olf a ▁city , ▁East ▁Az ar ba ij an ▁Province ▁in ▁north west ▁Iran . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Armen ian ▁people ▁are ▁native ▁to ▁Armen ian ▁High lands ▁which ▁is ▁also ▁part ▁of ▁north western ▁Iran — known ▁as ▁Iran ian ▁A zer ba ij an . ▁Armen ia ▁converted ▁to ▁Christian ity ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁A . D . ▁A ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁region ▁forms ▁part ▁of ▁historical ▁Armen ia . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁Armen ian ▁chap els , ▁monaster ies ▁and ▁churches ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁are ▁located ▁within ▁this ▁region ▁of ▁Iran , ▁and ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁A zer ba ij an ▁region ▁in ▁general ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁oldest ▁churches ▁in ▁Iran . ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁un ver ified ▁reports ▁it ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁St . ▁Th ad de us ▁was ▁buried ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁St . ▁Th ad de us ▁Mon aster y ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁century ▁A . D ., ▁and ▁that ▁St . ▁Gregory ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁establish ing ▁a ▁monaster y ▁here ▁in ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century . ▁However , ▁there ▁is ▁recorded ▁proof ▁that ▁St . ▁Th ad de us ▁Mon aster y ▁dates ▁to ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁second ▁Armen ian ▁church ▁to ▁be ▁built , ▁following ▁the ▁Et ch mi ad zin ▁C athedral ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁the ▁dioc ese ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 0