page_title: Christianity in Azerbaijan
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Christianity in Azerbaijan / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Saint Mary Protector of Caucasus icon in Archangel Michael church in Baku
context_page_description: Christianity in Azerbaijan is a minority religion. Christians who estimated between 280,000-450,000 are mostly Russian and Georgian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic. There is also a small Protestant Christian community most of them came from Muslim backgrounds.
context_section_description: Christianity spread to territory of Azerbaijan in the first years of the new era. The first stage of this period is called the period of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus (same ones who Christianized Armenia), who spread the new religion by the benediction of the first patriarch of Jerusalem Yegub. The first church was erected in the village Kish. This church was constructed before the first Armenian Christian church.
caption: St. Mary Protector of Caucasus icon in Archangel Michael church, Baku.
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