A manuscript world where history, science and art meet.
The Mesrop Mashtots Matenadaran in Yerevan is a research institute of ancient manuscripts. Its collection preserves centuries of intellectual culture.
A manuscript is more than its words. Handwriting, illustrations and annotations help us imagine its makers and readers. Such details bring history closer, revealing the knowledge, work and everyday lives of earlier generations.
How did Mesrop Mashtots create the Armenian alphabet, why did its original 36 letters transform Armenian cultural history, and how did writing become an art form in its own right? Category: Heritage
Read the storyGarni is one of Armenia’s most remarkable monuments of ancient architecture. How was the royal complex organized, whom might the famous temple have been dedicated to, why did it survive Armenia’s Christianization, and how was it restored almost three centuries after a devastating earthquake?
Read the storyFor centuries, Dvin was one of Armenia’s most important political, religious, and commercial centers. It was home to rulers’ palaces, the residence of the Armenian Catholicos, craft districts, and international markets, while Sasanians, Byzantines, Arab rulers, and Armenian dynasties competed for control of the city.
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