Julfa, A Remnant of the Neighborhood Concept

Julfa is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Isfahan, which was built to settle the Christians of Armenia on the south part of the Zayandehrood River during the Safavid period. Although its construction has undergone many changes, like the other parts of the city, it is one of the few neighborhoods that still carries the “neighborhood” prefix, and the citizens, as the city’s landscape audience, acknowledge it as “ a neighborhood.” The question is, what factor (s) has made this region withstand the anarchist pressures of the perceived concepts of the modern imported urbanism, while the similar neighborhood of Juibareh has failed in this regard? Undoubtedly, various factors contribute to an area’s identification and its transformation into a neighborhood, but in the present study, we encounter a special minority neighborhood that, contrary to the views of many reputable sociologists and anthropologists, still has its former prosperity. By examining library resources, documents, field visits and using a landscape holistic approach, and also with the help of sociology and historical anthropology, we found that in this region a threat like being a minority has changed into an opportunity that causes solidarity and a sense of belonging to the neighborhood. (Which is also confirmed by experts). Comparing Juibareh neighborhood (formerly Judea)  to another minority neighborhood of the same period in  Isfahan shows that minority solidarity is not enough for a neighborhood and when power, wealth, and freedom of action come together with cultural factors provided by the government (from outside the group) and reinforce the help of this solidarity (from within the group), the neighborhood will be full of dynamism and progress. The present study seeks to investigate and analyze some of the most important factors of success in Jolfa remaining a neighborhood compared to Juibareh and examines factors that may contribute to the prosperity and revitalization of the neighborhood concept.