126
edits
Changes
Adding the description
{{orientalchurches}}
The Church of Aran or '''Church of ArranAran''' or Arran (Azeri. : Əran 'Land of Warriors', Ar/Ər - 'warrior/man', An an - 'land'; Greek: Αράν), also known as Church of Caucasian Albania in the western sources, is one of the oldest churches in the world. It is an [[Autocephaly|Autocephalous Orthodox Church]] and was first established by the Holy [[Apostle Bartholomew]] in Baku, and then by St. [[Elisha of Arran|Elisha]] in the village of Kish, north of Azerbaijan. It was amalgamated with the [[Church of Armenia|Armenian Orthodox Church]] in 1836, when Tsar Nicolas I of Russia signed "The Decree on managing the affairs of the Armenian-Gregorian Church in Russia" ("Положение о управлении делами Армяно-Григорианской церкви в России"). The Church of Aran was re-established in Azerbaijan in 2003 as the Church of Caucasian Albania-Udi. In 2013 during 1700th anniversary of establishing Christianity in Azerbaijan, the grand opening of the Church of Aran took place in the village of Nij.
==Early history==
The original name of Azerbaijan (for both North and South) was Caspiane according to Strabo (book 11, chapter 2, section 15), which is also referred to Caspian Mountains (Caucasian Mountains) and Caspian Sea : "According to Eratosthenes, the Caucasus is called "Caspius" by the natives, the name being derived perhaps from the 'Caspii'". Subsequent invasions, split Caspiane into two distinctive entities Atropatene in south, and later Aran in north. Then Caspiane became a little province along the Caspian shores, which later was incorporated into Aran.
The kingdom of Aran, better known in English as 'Caucasian Albania' (Latin - Albānia, Greek - Αλβανεια), is said to have been first evangelized by the Holy [[Apostle Bartholomew]] and a [[disciple]] of St. [[Apostle Jude|Thaddeus]], St. [[Elisha of Arran|Elisha]], who is called the 'Apostle of ArranAran.' The nation as a whole did convert into Christianity when the Arsacid King [[Urnayr]] of Arran Aran was [[baptism|baptized]] by St. [[Gregory the Enlightener|Gregory the Illuminator]] in 313.
In 330, a grandson of St. Gregory, St. Grigoris, became the first [[bishop]] and [[Catholicos]] of Aran, which included much of modern day Azerbaijan, South Dagestan and East Armenia. St. Grigoris was [[martyr]]ed in 338 while preaching in Dagestan, but his [[relics]] were rescued by his disciples and kept at the Amaras Monastery in West Azerbaijan. In the following years the position of the Catholicate strengthened, being established at the Arranian capital Qabala.