Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Urmia

The Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Urmia is led from the Cathedral of St. Mary the Mother of God, an Eastern Catholic jurisdiction located in northwestern Iran's West Azerbaijan Province. This archeparchy oversees both its own metropolitan territory and the suffragan Eparchy of Salmas under the direction of a single bishop.

This archeparchy was established on September 4, 1890, to provide proper ecclesiastical structure for the Chaldean Catholic community across the region. The creation addressed a growing need for organized church governance in that area.

The Archeparchy maintains the East Syriac Rite traditions, utilizing Syriac dialect of Aramaic in its religious ceremonies and administrative functions.

As an active religious institution, the cathedral is primarily open for worship services and special religious observances. Visitors should check beforehand about access times and scheduled celebrations to plan their visit accordingly.

Thomas Meram has led this archeparchy since 1983 and served as president of the Iranian Episcopal Conference from 2000 to 2003. His extended tenure shaped this institution through significant regional changes.

Part of: Chaldean Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Urmia

Website: http://urmi.org

GPS coordinates: 37.53330,45.06670

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:13