When Shah Abbas got into power, he tried to move the Armenians of Armenia towards Iran’s frontier and evacuate that area.
By doing so, he had two ideas:
First, debilitating the Ottoman Empire; since in case of the evacuation of the counties and towns of that area, the Ottoman army would have serious trouble acquiring supplies for winter, and Shah Abbas could defeat them sooner.
Second, Shah Abbas was aware of the Armenians’ skill in trading, and he found it fit for improving the economic conditions of the state.
This could also result in an increase in the number of taxpayers.
Having this in mind, Shah Abbas accommodated the Armenians in some areas of Iran that had fertile lands and pleasant climates.
Thus, he built the quarter of Jolfa in Isfahan for the Armenian people and sent the villagers to the counties of Fereydan and Chaharmahal.
The quarter of Jolfa, which was named New Jolfa by the Armenians, was connected to the Safavid capital through several bridges.
Shah Abbas gave them freedom of religion and granted them autonomy, yet made them keep the memory of obeying the Shah in their minds.
They lived by their own customs and set up twenty five churches in this quarter to preserve their religion and beliefs.
Besides the religious function, these churches also had an educational role.
Chardin, the French traveller who visited Isfahan in the Safavid era, called New Jolfa the greatest township of the world.
