Iran is currently in the global spotlight, as millions of citizens take to the streets demanding freedom. Amid this climate, attention also turns to the difficult reality of the small Greek and Orthodox Christian community in Tehran, which gathers at the only Orthodox church in the entire country, the Church of the Annunciation.

Orthodoxi Alitheia spoke with Archimandrite Nikiforos Kounalis, General Archieratic Commissioner of the Holy Archdiocese of Crete, who has visited Tehran on three occasions to serve as parish priest at the Church of the Annunciation. “I always went there during Holy Week, because that was the only time the church was open,” Fr. Nikiforos explains. He adds: “Before me, Archbishop Makarios of Australia had celebrated the Divine Liturgy there, when he was still an Archimandrite. Also, the late Patriarch Demetrios, predecessor of the current Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, served as priest of the church for ten consecutive years. It all began in 2018, when I was informed by the Ecumenical Patriarchate that I should travel there to celebrate the services of Holy Week. The services began on Holy Thursday and were performed exactly as in Greece, with the assistance of a chanter.”

From the moment he entered the church, Fr. Nikiforos was impressed by its decoration, especially the marble episcopal throne, as well as by its columns, reminiscent of ancient Greek architecture, and by the spaciousness of the interior. “All the services were perfomed [sic] in Greek. It was not possible to use any other language, as this is considered proselytism,” Fr. Nikiforos noted… “It is worth noting that we are not allowed to perform sacraments such as marriage or baptism.”…

He then added: “The last time I visited Tehran was in 2022. No other priest has gone there after me. I experienced unprecedented moments. You cannot imagine how important it is for some Christians in Tehran to wait patiently every two years — even for just a few days — for a priest to arrive there.”

The Church of the Annunciation in Tehran is the only Orthodox church in Iran today. It was founded on September 29, 1951, and on Christmas Day of the same year the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated. The architectural plans of the church were prepared by the National Technical University of Athens, while its inauguration took place in 2001 by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. It is a single-aisled basilica without a dome, featuring Greek Neoclassical elements, while the exterior is in a pseudo-Ionic style. The church has a double-tiled roof, a propylaeum, and an empty pediment on the façade. Inside, the church is adorned with frescoes of the Annunciation of the Theotokos. Next to the church stands a two-storey building belonging to the Greek community.

He also recalls the following shocking incident: “On Saturday night, after the end of the Resurrection service, two people of Iranian origin approached me secretly. They begged me to give them Holy Communion after the rest of the faithful had left the church. They lived in Tehran and, to the outside world, they were considered Muslims!

The fact that they had received Holy Communion must not become known, because in that case their lives would be in danger. Although officially considered Muslims, they had been baptized as Orthodox Christians during a previous visit to an Orthodox country.”