Tehran’s contentious mayor Alireza Zakani has said the construction of the “Maryam Moghaddas” (Saint Mary) Line 6 metro station “demonstrates the coexistence of divine religions” in the Iranian capital, Shahr reported on October 15.

The station, located in the western section of appropriately-named Maryam Park opposite the Holy Virgin Church, features a design that combines the features of the church’s architecture with Persian geometric elements. The ceiling design replicates the dome of the Holy Virgin Church, with stainless steel structures and oval recesses fitted with lighting.

The entrance features inscriptions in Armenian and Persian reading “In the name of God”. The station is situated at a depth of 25 metres with three escalators to transport passengers, Armenian language newspaper Alik wrote on October 13.

Zakani wrote on his social media page on X, alongside images of the station which will soon be inaugurated, that the station has been built with a design incorporating light, arches and silence underground, combining the delicacy of church architecture with the calming geometry of Iranian architecture.

“This station is a reminder of the divine lady who, with purity and raising a great prophet, awakened the world,” Zakani wrote, according to the municipality’s Shahr news agency.

The mayor stated that the purpose of constructing this station is to pay respect to the status of the Holy Mary and demonstrate the coexistence of divine religions in Tehran.

Social media users were quick the admonish the hardline mayor after years of animosity from his grouping for his comments of peace and co-existence. Anti-Islamic Republican groups online stated that the Iranian government has persecuted

The station is part of Tehran’s expanding metro network, which serves millions of passengers across the city.

The naming of the station after the Virgin Mary, a revered figure in both Islamic and Christian traditions, reflects Iran’s recognition of shared religious heritage.

The station has been compared to Shiraz’s Vakil-ol-Roaya metro station, one of Iran’s most beautiful stations that attracts many travellers and tourists. However, like other stations, adequate space for bicycle parking or convenient bicycle transport remains limited.

The Armenian Christian community in Iran, numbering between 150,000 and 355,000, is the country’s largest Christian minority and one of its oldest ethnic communities, with roots dating back over 400 years.

Abdolmotahar Mohammadkhani, spokesman for Tehran Municipality, said the station is located at the intersection of Ostad Nejatollahi and Karimkhan Zand streets. Implementation operations began in 2015 and the station is now ready to be made available to the public.

Mohammadkhani said the station was built at a depth of 34 metres with a floor area of approximately 11,000 square metres. More than 102,000 cubic metres of excavation, 3,600 tonnes of reinforcement and 27,000 cubic metres of concrete pouring were carried out. Six thousand square metres of stonework was completed in various sections of the station to maintain safety and aesthetics at the desired level.

Mohammadkhani said the opening of Virgin Mary station is part of a package of inaugurations in the second half of October that includes other projects on Lines 3 and 7.

Currently, there is an estimated range of 75,000 Christian Armenians in Tehran, despite the large emigration of the minority in recent years due to the poor economic conditions of Iran.