Iran has made the surprise move of naming a Tehran metro station after the Virgin Mary.

The newly upgraded station, now called Maryam-e Moqaddas—Persian for Holy Virgin Mary—features Christian-themed art and is located near Saint Sarkis Armenian Cathedral, the main hub for the city’s Armenian Christian community.

The station, which will be part of Line 6, is expected to help ease congestion in one of the capital’s busiest areas.

Murals and bas-reliefs of Christian figures—including images of the Virgin Mary, Christ, and Saint Sarkis Cathedral—adorn the station’s walls.

Mary is recognized as a significant figure in both Christianity and Islam, revered by followers of both faiths.

The move has sparked surprise online, with some questioning mainstream media narratives about religious freedom in Iran.

One X user, Richard (@ricwe123), wrote: “All the time Western mainstream media is telling us how Iran is some fanatic wasteland where religion other than Islam can’t breathe. Then Tehran opens a ‘Holy Virgin Mary’ metro station, covered in Christian symbols, and the whole story falls apart.”

Islam is by far the dominant religion in Iran, representing 99 percent of the population, with Christians making up just 1 percent.

Iran’s constitution officially recognizes Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism as “religious minorities,” according to Article 13.

However, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, many Christians—especially converts from Islam and Persian-speaking Christians who are not ethnic Armenians or Assyrians—are not afforded the rights those constitutional provisions suggest.