Are you interested in learning more about Armenian
history? Well, Matenadaran Museum (a
UNESCO Heritage Site) is ranked 4th out of 31 tourist attractions in
Yerevan on Trip Adviser and was also the winner of the Travellers’ Choice Award
in 2013. The Matenadaran is more
formerly known as The Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts and is
home to a collection of over 25,000 ancient manuscripts (over 14,000 of these
are Armenian), as well as 3,000 ancient books and 450,000 archive documents on
subjects as varied as: history, geography, philosophy, art history, medicine
and science. Located on Mashtots Avenue
and with over 50,000 visitors every year, very few tourists to the city go home
without a trip to this important museum (and centre for the preservation and
study of Armenian works of literature).
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| Matenadaran: The Museum of Ancient Manuscripts |
History
During the Middle Ages (the 5th to the 15th
century), Armenia had one of the most sophisticated schools of enlightened
manuscript painting in the world and the earliest mention of a ‘repository of
manuscripts’ or ‘Matenadaran’ in Armenia was in the 5th
century. However, apart from one mention
of this repository in the works of Ghazar Parpetsi, there are no other records
of it.
However, it is saddening that over 10,000 of the original
manuscripts was destroyed during the Turkic-Mongol invasions, with many more
being pillaged during the ensuing centuries as Armenia was continuously battled
over by two key powers. The wilful
destruction of these manuscripts is even more poignant when you consider the
role they played in the Armenian people’s fight against subjugation and
assimilation by their invaders. Not to
mention the loss of the work of devoted scribes who sat, stooped over
manuscripts, in minute, gloomy, confined rooms for decades – often losing their
sight and even their lives through their dedication to their work!
Nonetheless, when Armenia was incorporated in to the USSR in
the 19th century, a new era for the preservation of the remaining
manuscripts was heralded and the collection was even sent to Moscow during WWI
for safekeeping.
The Modern
Matenadaran
In 1939, the complete collection of manuscripts was moved to
Yerevan to be kept in the State Library the Council of Ministers voted to
construct a new building to house the manuscripts. Designed by the architect, Mark Grigoryan,
building began in 1945, was halted between 1947 and 1953, before being
completed in 1959. It is an amazing
building, with the exterior mainly constructed from basalt, where a flight of
steps leads you up to a statue of Mesrop Mashtots (who the museum is named
after and who compiled the Armenian alphabet in 396 AD). As you walk from here to the entrance of the
museum, you are greeted by sculptures of ancient Armenian philosophers,
scientists and men of the arts. You will
then pass through the temple of reason, walk through two immense doors and be
welcomed by a marble interior, a stunning mosaic and an equally stunning
fresco. This is where you will learn all
about the history of the manuscripts and the important work of preserving and
studying them.
Trip Advisor Ratings
and Testimonials
As previously mentioned, Matenadaran is ranked 4th
out of 31 Armenian tourist attraction on Trip Adviser, with 74 out of 108
independent reviewers giving it 5 out of 5 and 24 more giving it 4 stars out of
5. Some of the guests said the
following:
‘Very interesting guided tour.’
‘Unique visit in to the past.’
‘Fascinating repository of
ancient documents.’
‘Amazing collection!’
Overall, it does appear that this is a place that you cannot
go home without visiting!
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