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St Thomas Mount (Persian cross)
St Thomas Mount, Chennai, India · India & Indian Ocean
13.008, 80.192
Attested. The cross and its Pahlavi inscription are attested. Proposed dates range from the 7th to the 10th century. The martyrdom on this hill is tradition.
In 1547 Portuguese builders dug up a carved stone cross with a Middle Persian (Pahlavi) inscription on this hill, which tradition names as the place of Thomas's martyrdom. Similar 'Persian crosses' are found in Kerala churches. They show the Church of the East's ties to Indian Christians in the late first millennium.
Source stance: neutral. Epigraphy (the cross itself); the martyrdom claim is insider tradition.
People and groups named here
- Thomas the Apostle (traditional martyrdom)
Sources
- St. Thomas Mount (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors. Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Saint Thomas Christian cross (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors. Accessed 2026-11-11.
Further reading
Councils here
None in this list.