Tehran has inaugurated a new metro station named after the Virgin Mary, an unusual move in the Islamic Republic that has drawn domestic praise and criticism as well as international attention.
The Virgin Mary Station, or Maryam Moghaddas in Persian, officially opened this week on Line 7 of Tehran’s subway network. Iranian officials said the name was chosen as a “symbol of respect” for Mary, mother of Jesus, who is venerated in both Christianity and Islam.
The station features Persian tilework and decorative lighting interwoven with Christian iconography, including stylized depictions of the Virgin Mary. It is located in northern Tehran, near neighborhoods home to Armenian and Assyrian Christian minorities.
Iranian state media portrayed the naming as a gesture of cultural coexistence, and images of the new station were widely shared on Persian-language social media. Many users welcomed the move as “unexpected” but “positive,” while others noted that symbolic gestures stand in contrast to the day-to-day pressures faced by religious minorities in the country.
Although Christianity is officially recognized in Iran and a small number of historic churches continue to operate, rights groups have long documented restrictions on religious freedom, particularly for converts and unregistered congregations. Arrests, surveillance, and harassment of Christian communities have been repeatedly reported over the years.
One user on X/Twitter who lives inside Iran stated that the new station was created, “because the Islamic Republic is desperate.” “It’s trying to polish its global image and manipulate Western audiences – especially conservatives and religious figures like Donald Trump, who deeply respect the Virgin Mary and Christian values.”
International media highlights significance of naming station after Christian figure amid rising criticism of religious minority discrimination
The opening also drew coverage abroad. International media highlighted the choice of naming a public site after a Christian figure in a Shi’ite country as significant, though analysts cautioned against reading too much into the gesture. It comes at a time of heightened criticism of the Iranian regime’s treatment of minorities, including Christians and Baha’is, alongside political dissent.
The Virgin Mary Station has been described by local media as one of the most visually striking in Tehran’s expanding metro system. “Mary is a figure respected in Islam as well,” a municipal official said at the opening ceremony, underscoring the religious crossover.