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The Matenadaran is an Armenian museum in Yerevan that houses manuscripts in various languages, including Armenian, Greek, Turkish, Russian, and Farsi. It has existed since the 5th century and was permanently housed in Yerevan in 1959. The collection includes approximately 17,000 Armenian manuscripts and 30,000 other documents. The museum also has statues outside, including one of Saint Mesrob, who invented the Armenian alphabet, and showcases behind embossed copper doors. The manuscripts have been preserved by Armenians throughout history and recovered from libraries worldwide.
The Matenadaran is an Armenian museum dedicated to housing manuscripts of all forms and languages. Located in the country’s capital, Yerevan, the Matenadaran has existed in various forms and locations since the 5th century AD and was first permanently housed in Yerevan in 1959. It contains documents and fragments written in Armenian as well as other languages, such as Greek , Turkish, Russian and Farsi.
Matenadaran literally means “manuscript shop” or “library” in Armenian and was first recorded in the 5th century by historian Ghazar Parpetsi. This was located in the city of Echmiadzin which is today’s Vagharshapat. Little is known of its history during the following millennium, but in 1441 the manuscript collection was transferred from Sis – Kozan in Turkey – in the Cilician Kingdom of Armenia to Echmiadzin by the highest ranking archbishop of the Armenian Church.
The Seljuk Turks destroyed around 10,000 documents during the Mongol-Turkish invasions of the medieval and early modern periods. Other wars with a variety of combatants have also taken their toll on the harvest. Relative stability and sanctuary came with Armenia’s incorporation into the Russian Empire. After being evacuated to Moscow during World War I, Matenadaran returned to Yerevan in 1920, where it was housed in the Aleksandr Myasnikyan State Library.
The modern Matenadaran was built in 1959 on Mesrop Mashtots Avenue in Yerevan. It was designed to face southwest, towards Mount Ararat. This is important for Armenians because Ararat is a sacred mountain in Armenian nationalism. Many Judeo-Christians also believe that Ararat was the final resting place of Noah’s ark.
A number of statues are located outside the main building. The most prominent of these is the statue of Mashtots, also known as Saint Mesrob, the 5th-century Armenian king who invented the Armenian alphabet. Other statues include those of Gosh, Korun and Shirakatsi. An adjacent building was built between 2008 and 2011, thanks to private funding, to house modern warehouses and offices. In 2011, the main building was dedicated to displaying manuscripts only.
The manuscripts are kept in showcases behind a pair of embossed copper doors. The doors show scenes from the Battle of Avarayr in AD 451. Behind these doors, three other historical depictions form a triptych that welcomes visitors.
The Matenadaran’s permanent collection includes approximately 17,000 manuscripts and fragments written in Armenian and approximately 30,000 other documents. Many of these have been preserved by Armenians throughout the history of peoples. Others have been recovered from libraries and repositories around the world.
Examples of these manuscripts include the Vehamor Gospel and a church calendar dating from 1434. The Vehamor Gospel dates to the seventh century, and the calendar is no larger than a passport photograph. Another important document is the Msho Charentir, 1,208 pages long and completed by Vardan Aigektsi in 1202.
