Matenadaran’s museum complex

IN GERMAN

Matenadaran manuscript No. 110 is a 14th century prayer book, Gebetsbuch. No. 92 of 1785 a prayer book written in German: Gebetsbuch.

LATIN AND LATIN MANUSCRIPT

There are 28 Latin manuscripts (in languages other than Latin) of Matenadaran, there are also 112 fragments, mostly preservations of Armenian manuscripts, and 21 are independent units. 15 of the manuscripts are in Latin, 3 in German, 2 in French, and the rest are bilingual in Latin and some other language. Written in the 9th-18th centuries in Germany, Italy, Poland, France, the Netherlands, and elsewhere. Among the manuscripts is the Chronicle of Lübeck (No. 38, 14th century manuscript), which also contains information about Armenians. Manuscript No. 117 (1792) contains the Latin translation of the verses of Nerses Shnoralu, as well as some works attributed to Grigor Lusavoruchi, Hovhan Mandakuni and Hovhannes Dekavag.

Sayat-Nova, Autograph, manuscript: 1766.

This showcase presents an exceptional manuscript that belongs to the pen of the last representative of Armenian medieval lyric poetry, the poet-gusan Sayat-Nova (Harutyun Sayadyan). The manuscript is valuable and unique both in its content and in the new circumstances that have come to light. According to the record preserved in the manuscript, it was written in 1761, in the port city of Enzel, Gilan province, Persia, by the hand of Reverend Stepanos, "or Sayat Novai asin". The script is an adaptation of Grigor Narekatsi's poem "Matian Oghbergutyan", which sheds additional light on some episodes of the great singer's life. Before becoming a clergyman, Sayat-Nova was known as a troupe-poet and at the invitation of the Georgian king Heracles II, he became the king's musician. being ordained a priest. In fact, this manuscript was written during the period when Sayat-Nova was expelled from the palace, left the household and was ordained a clergyman. This journal gives grounds for asserting that after leaving the household and donning the religious scheme, Sayat-Nova devoted himself to writing. It cannot be a coincidence that Ashugh Sayat-Nova immediately after becoming religious imitated Grigor Narekatsi's "Matian Tragedy", which shows that the great singer may have tried to alleviate his mental turmoil in this way, to unite with the genius of St. Narekatsi's prayer. with and repenting to be freed from sins. This manuscript was published in 1981. Melikset Poghosyan, resident of Jararat village, book lover, gave Mashtotsyan to Matenadaran.

Gospel, 1675

In 1675, Grigor wrote and flourished the Gospel in Karahat at the request of the priest Ignatios of Gandzasar.

Grigor Tatevatsi with his disciples, manuscript: 1449.

The traditions of Hovhan Vorotnetsu's Tatev philosophical school were continued by his students, the most notable of whom is Grigor Tatevatsi, one of the greatest figures of medieval Armenian theological thought. The popular reputation of Tatev University is associated with his name, which during his time became one of the most important Armenian spiritual, scientific and cultural centers of the time. After the death of the teacher, Hovhan Vorotnets, he headed the Tatev school, gathering around him many students who came to study from different places of Armenia, engaged in scientific and pedagogical activities. More than 300 of his students played a significant role in Armenian spiritual-ecclesiastical, scientific and cultural life. Grigor Tatevatsi was apprenticed to a number of famous figures of Armenian culture of the 15th century. Tatevatsi's contribution to the development of science and culture in Armenia, especially the spread of enlightenment and the introduction of the fruits of European thinking into Armenian circles, is great. It is not for nothing that he was called "second enlightener" and "father of doctrine". Tatevatsi wrote commentaries, solutions, sermons, valuable theological, religious and semantic works. In them, the pedagogical views of the author, problems of cognition and knowledge were discussed. The most notable are the encyclopedic works "Book of Surveys" and "Voskeporik", where information related to various fields of science and life of the time are brought together. Tatevatsi was also a miniature painter and musician. A Gospel written in 1297, illustrated by Grigor Tatevatsi in 1378, is kept in Matenadaran. The Armenian Apostolic Church ranked Grigor Tatevatsi among the saints and included him in the calendar of the Armenian Church. In this manuscript written in 1449, Grigor Tatevatsi is depicted with his disciples.

ARABIC CHRISTIAN MANUSCRIPTS

58 manuscripts of Arabic Christian bibliography are part of the collection of 2732 Arabic manuscripts of the Mashtotsyan Matenadaran. Manuscripts Ж.-ЖТ. centuries, written in Syria, Lebanon and one manuscript in Egypt. There are both Gospels, prayer books, reflections on theological topics, as well as sermons, stories with moral content. Among them are also the collections of poems authored by Germanos Farhat (hand. Hmr. 2083, 2389) and Nikolaos Saegh (hand. Hmr. 1741, 1756, 2387, 2388), the book of Sirach (Hmr. 1153), the theological work of Johanna Claudius Verterio (Hmr. 2386). The collection was formed thanks to donations. The donors are: Mihran Minasyan, Varuzhan Salatyan, Arshak Danagozyan, Hovhannes Pasmachyan, Chorch Khorozyan, Vrezh Nersesyan, Grigor G. Barseghian, Hrach Avetisian, Ruben Parsoumian, Pyunik Charitable Foundation.

ETHIOPIAN MANUSCRIPTS

The Geez alphabet of the classical Ethiopian language is one of the oldest in the world. The Matenadaran collection of foreign language manuscripts contains 46 manuscripts and six fragments from Ethiopia. They are manuscripts dating from the first half of the 16th-20th centuries with different content. Part of the Bible, Gospel, Psalm, Communion, Prayer Book, Book of Hours, Compendium, Conduct of St. Raphael, Charms, etc. About a quarter of the collection is made up of ribbon charms with original illustrations. In terms of usage, the so-called "Shepherd's Gospel" is interesting, which has a special case consisting of several parts, putting the manuscript in it, the shepherd took it with him to the pasture for reading.

ANCIENT GREEK MANUSCRIPTS

A large number of ancient Greek manuscripts are kept in libraries around the world. They contain a wide variety of ancient and medieval works. Only the number of Greek manuscripts of the New Testament in the world is about 6 thousand. The number of Greek manuscripts kept in the Matenadaran is small: 9 complete books from the 16th-19th centuries, 75 fragments of Armenian manuscripts and 20 fragments that are independent units. The originals of some fragments were written in the 13th and 14th centuries. They are mainly Gospels and works of liturgical and theological content. The 17th-century manuscript of the "Chronicle" by Dorotheos of Monemvasia (16th century) and a fragment of a 15th-century manuscript (MM 141 Armenian manuscript, 14th century) which is a fragment of the book of Doctor Dioscorides (lived in AD) stand out. . in the first century).

Gospel, 7th century, pen: Petros

It is a paper manuscript of the 7th century, the writer of which is Peter, and the recipient is Peter the religious. The place of writing is unknown. It is considered a manuscript of Artsakh-Utik school. The portraits of the four Evangelists were not pre-existing in the manuscript. They were drawn on parchment sheets that were later incorporated into a paper manuscript.

Gospel, 13th century, Gandzasar, pen and flourish, Toros

This parchment ledger is a royal order, which was written and illustrated in Gandzasar during the years 1212-1214 by the Toros pen on the order of Vakhtang-Tangik and Khorishah, the parents of Prince Hasan Jalal-Dola of Artsakh. Matyan is the Hasan-Jalalyan dynastic Gospel and is also known as the Vakhtang-Tangik Gospel.

Gospel, 7th century

Place of writing and pen unknown. It is considered a manuscript of Artsakh-Utik school. John the evangelist is standing, looking and outstretched hand towards the right hand of God in the upper right corner and dictating to Prokhoron.

In Manrus, manuscript: 1272.

One of the original manifestations of Armenian medieval culture can be considered khazography, the art of Armenian musical writing. The notches (line, letter, character) are considered the Armenian phonetic signs, conventionally speaking, the notes. They are written above the line, and in the case of dense text, also on the line. Out of about 2,000 notated books that have reached us: Sharaknots, Chashots, Jamagirk, Manrusmung, 1,000 are kept in the Mashtotsian Matenadaran. In the Middle Ages, ritual-musical books called "Manrusumn" appeared in the spiritual life of Cilicia, they are musical books written with vowels and notated. These registers stand out both for the richness of the recordings and the rich calligraphy. The Manrusum shown here is a fine example of a script edited and engraved in Cilicia in 1272. These manuscripts, summarizing the system of sounds and musical skills, were called "Manrusum", which represents "detailed", "subtle", "spiritual" semantic shades of "fine" edge and "teaching" as knowledge, learnable science. It is equivalent to the concept of "Detailed teaching" known in Armenian bibliography as a summary of any science.

ARABIC MANUSCRIPTS

Traditional Arabic literature is perhaps the most voluminous in the world. The third appendix to Brockelmann's History of Arabic Literature (1942) contains about 18,000 author names and 25,000 titles. According to various sources, the number of preserved Arabic manuscripts in the world is between five and twelve million. The collection of Arabic manuscripts of Matenadaran, with about 1,800 samples, represents many scientific fields: philosophy, history, religion, jurisprudence, literature, linguistics, geography, astronomy, arithmetic, logic, architecture, medicine, natural sciences. The predominant part of the Arabic manuscripts of the library are works dedicated to Islam: Qur'ans, interpretations of the Qur'an (tafsir), stories about the Prophet Muhammad (hadith), works on Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). Another large group of manuscripts are linguistic works. The collection is valued by the works of a number of authors known in scientific circles. Among them are the complete volumes of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's "Renaissance of Religious Sciences" (Ihya ulum al-Din, vol. No. 1632-1635), Ibn Sina's (Avicenna) famous "Book of Salvation" (Kitab al-Najat, vol. No. 45), AlZamakhshari's "The Revealer" The famous commentary on the Qur'an (Al-Qashshaf, hand. no. 1702) and a number of other works, the works of al-Azhari, al-Zurjani and others. Part 5 of the Qur'an (juz, hand. No. 1621) belongs to the series of valuable manuscripts of the collection, whose later reference proves that it was written before 1113/1114. (507 A.H.), and was donated to one of the mosques in Damascus. The oldest example in the collection is parchment fragment No. 1, 8th-9th century, which is an excerpt from the Qur'an. A number of manuscripts are also distinguished by their "biography", because in 1915-1916. Together with the Armenian manuscripts from different places of the Ottoman Empire, they were saved from destruction and settled in Matenadaran.

Mkhitar Gosh, Armenian Judgment Book, manuscript: 1303.

In the history of Armenian legal thought, Mkhitar Gosh, an Armenian thinker, scientist and proverb writer of the 12th century, the author of the first systematic "code book", the "Judgment Book", occupies an exceptional place. This is a collection of civil and ecclesiastical laws, which is the largest and most valuable in its scope in the Armenian Middle Ages. It was written against the vicious phenomena of the period in order to alleviate class contradictions, improve the social condition of the people, and also raise the national-liberation spirit. The protection of human rights and dignity are of central importance in the Book of Judgement, and in this sense, Mkhitar Gosh is considered one of the representatives of medieval humanism.

Yeghishe, E century, about Vardan and the Armenian war, manu

Yeghishe is one of the historians of the Golden Age. He was one of the younger students of Mesrop Mashtots and Sahak Partev, and in 432-433 was sent with a group of other students to Alexandria to study at the famous local university. After returning to his homeland, he became the secretary of Vardan Zoravar. He was a contemporary and participant in 450-451. the Armenian liberation struggle against the Persian domination and its culmination in the "Battle of Avarair", which is known in history as the "War of Vardanants". After the end of the war, he led a hermit's life, during which he wrote the famous poem "On Vardanai and the Armenian War". It is a valuable historical monument dedicated to the War of Vardanants. The book of Elisha is not an ordinary story, the author has written it in a vivid, rich language and wise words, imbued with a warm spirit of patriotism. It is no coincidence that his poem was considered a heroic epic, a poem, for which the people called him "Avarair's nightingale". Many sayings of Elisha have become winged words. "Better a blind eye than a blind mind" or "Unconscious death is death, conscious is immortality."

OTTOMAN MANUSCRIPTS

Among the collection of 2732 Arabic (Arabic, Persian, Ottoman) manuscripts of Matenadaran, about 400 are in Ottoman. The Ottoman manuscripts became part of the Matenadaran collection thanks to the donations of the former patron of Etchmiadzin and individuals. Some Ottoman manuscript groups also have their own separate histories, especially the history of Ottoman manuscripts saved from loss along with Armenian and other language manuscripts from Western Armenia (Vaspurakan and Taron) during the Great Genocide. Ottoman manuscripts are chronologically from the 16th to the 19th centuries, they are multi-content and include literary, literary and interpretative (Sharh or Sherh), religious (interpretive works of the Qur'an, collections of hadiths, prayer books, etc.), grammatical, historical, jurisprudential (fiqh), medical works, works related to natural sciences (astronomy, geometry, chemistry, physics), dictionaries, letters, dream catchers, charms, magic and astrology books, calendars. Places of manuscript writing are mentioned: Istanbul (K. Polis), Ankara, Bursa, Silistre, Tabriz, Etchmiadzin, Moscow, Shushi, Yerevan, Baku, etc. Ottoman manuscript specimens include excellently imitated complete manuscript examples that come to complement the ranks of the world's known Ottoman manuscript collections, or are still unknown manuscript examples of a work. The manuscript collection includes sources of particular interest for new studies. Some Ottoman manuscripts are distinguished by frontispieces, partly by thematic miniature designs, sometimes by stamped covers.

Royal Gospel, Sargis Pitsak, 1336, Sis

Sargis Pitsak is one of the brilliant representatives of the Cilician school of miniature painting, whose works are world famous. He lived and created in the 14th century, in different centers of Cilician Armenia: Sis, Skevra, Drazark, Kopitar and elsewhere, creating many wonderful scrolls. There is no other flourishing pen known among Armenian miniatures, from which such a large number of illustrated manuscripts have reached us. We have about 40 manuscripts from Sargis Pitsak, which are stored in the Mashtotsian Matenadaran and in various museums and manuscript libraries around the world. Among the manuscripts written and illustrated by him are: 1338 Bible (MM 2627), 1353 "Gospel of Medicine" (MM 6795), as well as the famous gospel of "Eight Miniatures", completed in 1320. One of the most famous works of Pitsak is the one shown here in 1336. The Gospel copied and flourished in the city of Sis (MM 5786), which was kept for many years in the Holy Cross Monastery on Aghtamari Island, was called "miracle" or "royal".

Movses Khorenatsi, 3rd century, History of Armenians, manusc

In the bibliography of the 5th century, the figure of Movses Khorenatsi stands out. Armenians honored him with the titles "Father of History", "Metsn Movses", "Kertolaghair", because thanks to him the complete history of the Armenian people has reached us, starting with the genealogy of the Armenian people and reaching the times he lived in, the 70s of the 5th century. Khorenatsi was one of the younger students of Mesrop Mashtots and Sahak Partev. After 431, probably 434-435. was sent to Alexandra to improve her studies with other students. Here he studied foreign languages, especially Greek, mastered philosophy, calligraphy, music, eloquence, theology, history, etc. He is the author of many philosophical poems, hymns, hymns, translated works. However, the crown of his bibliographic merit is "History of Armenians", which he wrote on the order of Prince Sahak Bagratun. Here is presented a copy of Khorenatsi's History Book from the 16th century. Khorenatsi's "History of Armenians" is considered one of the masterpieces of medieval Armenian historiographic thought. It had an exceptional role in the formation of Armenian socio-political thought and national consciousness. Contains valuable information on the history and geography of Armenia and neighboring countries. It has not lost its scientific significance to this day, the value of which has not faded for more than a millennium and a half. The following verses of Khorenatsi, who have become a symbol of the endurance and vitality of the Armenian people, have been his inseparable companion throughout the centuries: "Although we are small, limited in number and weak in power. conquered many times from foreign kingdoms, but many acts of bravery have been done in our country, worthy of writing and remembrance..."

LACQUER MANUSCRIPT

Among the foreign language manuscripts of Matenadaran, examples of "Derbend Name", which is considered the source of the history of Dagestan, are among the valuable samples, among which the bilingual Lakish-Ottoman manuscript (No. 240) stands out. .

Gospel, 1224, Khoranashat Monastery

In 1224, in Khoranashat, this parchment iron-written Gospel was written and illustrated by the order of Jajur Khalgbakyan's daughter Vanenu, which is called "Khoranashat Gospel" after the name of the monastery. The pen and flourish of the manuscript are unknown. In 1236, the Mongols captured the manuscript, and in 1238, it was burned in Tiflis. The monk purchased the ledger with a large ransom and returned it to Khoranashat and wrote the record with his own hand.

Sanasarian Gospel

The Sanasarian Gospel is one of the rare manuscripts kept in Matenadaran. It was named so because it belongs to the Sanasaryan College of Karin (Erzrum). It is one of the 94 manuscripts of Sanasaryan, miraculously saved after the Armenian Genocide and transferred to Etchmiadzin. The "Sanasarian Gospel" copied in 986 is exceptional not only for its antiquity and completeness, but also as a duplicate manuscript. In the Middle Ages, parchment was very expensive, so often the old writing of old and unusable scrolls was erased by scraping or washing, and the parchment was reused by writing new text on it. This is how the phrase "duplicate scroll" came about. The "Sanasarian Gospel" is like that, it was written in the 10th century on an erased text of the 5th century. However, the ink of the ancient manuscript was so stable that over time it began to show under the writing and paintings of the 10th century.

General information about Artsakh manuscripts

Artsakh, the tenth state of Greater Armenia, occupies a special place among the ancient centers of Armenian written culture. According to tradition, in the 5th century Mesrop Mashtots opened the first school of Artsakh in Amaras, which was founded by the first Armenian Patriarch Grigor Lusavorich in the 4th century. Unfortunately, no manuscripts have been preserved from Amaras. In Artsakh and Utik (the twelfth province of Greater Armenia), the Armenian written culture developed over the centuries in harmony with the economic, political and cultural life of the whole of Armenia. There were pens here adjacent to large monasteries and in various settlements. thousands of books were written, illustrated, compiled, repaired, only a part of which has reached our days. Culturally, the IV-V centuries were particularly significant for Artsakh-Utik. It was a period of the establishment and spread of the Christian religion and the Armenian writing school, when written culture and literature spread widely and acquired new quality and content. Various theological, confessional, translation, historical, interpretive, educational, and ritual manuscripts were created in the writing centers of Artsakh-Utik and have reached us. The works of Movses Kakhankatvats, Movses Daskhurantsu, Hovhan Mayragomets, Hamam Arevelts, Davit Alavkaordu, Mkhitar Ghosh, Reverend Monk, Kirakos Gandzakets were created in these centers, the originals of which have not been preserved, but many imitations of them are known. Fortunately, there are also a significant number of manuscripts from Artsakh and Utik that have reached our days, which are mainly from the 13th-18th centuries and testify to the path and unique development of the Armenian written culture in these regions. Most of them were stored in the Mashtotsian Library, others in different libraries and private collections around the world, and the fate of many of them is unknown.

Charyntir

This large manuscript called Charyntir was written in the 15th century by the famous writer Hovhannes Mankasarents. Mankasarents was one of the best masters of the art of writing and is best known as the founder of the Archesh school of writing. People from different provinces of Vaspurakan came to study here. Throughout his life, almost seven decades, he was engaged in penmanship, copying more than 130 manuscripts, forty of which are the size of this manuscript. Of Hovhannes Mankasarent's imitations, 30 manuscripts have reached us, 13 of which are kept in the Mashtotsian Matenadaran. Five of the preserved manuscripts are in the archives of the Mkhitaryan Congregation in Venice and two in the libraries of New Jugha.

The Gospel of Halghpat, Ani, 1211

One of the characteristic monuments of Ani's miniatures is 1211. "Gospel of Haghbat" (Matenadaran, hand. 6288) illustrated by the prophet artist, whose illustration, imbued with the worldly spirit, clearly bears the stamp of the urban environment. Here, the artist depicted real people, even some of his fellow citizens, in the margins of the tabernacles and other miniatures. One of them is a young man named Sheranik, next to whose picture the artist wrote: "Sheranik, when you come, bring the fish." In the margin of another tabernacle, there is a picture of a musician sitting under a pomegranate tree with a saze. The only masterly miniature of the manuscript "Entry into Jerusalem" is also extremely original, in which the artist depicted the members of the family of those who welcomed Christ (parents, three sons and two daughters). The value of the miniatures in this book is invaluable for the history of Armenian medieval art and urban culture.

Gospel, Toros Taronatsi, Syunik, Gladzor, 1323.

1282-1338 at the famous university in Gladzor, in the Vayots Dzor province of Syunik, under the patronage of the Proshian and Orbelian princely houses. an original school of miniature painting, characterized by a variety of different styles, was formed and developed. The artists who created here: Poghos Kiliketsi, Momik, Toros Taronatsi, Avag, by generalizing the rich experience of local and Cilician Armenian miniatures, were able to achieve a new quality and make a great contribution to the development of Armenian book art. The Gospel shown was written and flourished by Toros of Tarona in 1323. He was from the city of Mush, he studied in Gladzor, under Yesai Nsetsu. 19 manuscripts imitated and flourished by him are known, nine of which are kept in the Mashtotsian Matenadaran. Along with some presence of the influence of Byzantine miniatures, ancient national traditions occupy a wide place in the art of Taronati. The use of folk art tricks is especially noticeable. Tarona gave special life to the portraits, the decorative art of his flowery manuscripts is distinguished by exceptional expressiveness (a unique synthesis of the decorative art of Mets Hayk and Cilicia).

"History of Armenians" three-part mural

The three-part "Armenian History" mural decorates the outer walls of the main staircase. The artist is Van Khachatur. The three images represent the most important periods in the history and written culture of the Armenian people. In the left part of the triangle are the earliest symbols of the formation of Armenia and the Armenian people: IX century in the middle of the ancient Urartan or Ararat Kingdom, the period of state formation in the Armenian highlands with its flourishing cities, crafts and art that reached a high level of development. The worship of water and dragons, the supreme gods of the Urartian temple, the famous stone carvings called "dragon stone", an example of a cuneiform inscription, as well as BC. 782 The lion is considered the symbol of the city-fortress of Erebuni, built in the Kingdom of Van. According to an inscription discovered in 1950, the Urartian cities of Erebuni and Yerevan were identified, according to which, Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world with a certificate confirming its more than 2,800-year-old identity. The right part of the painting represents Armenia during the Hellenistic era and especially the period of Tigran the Great, the "King of the King" of the Armenians, when the Kingdom of Great Armenia reached the peak of its power. In the mural, we see the civilizational and cultural environment of a developed country and their typical symbols: flourishing economy, urban development, figures of science and education, Greek and Aramaic inscriptions, etc. Here, the gold coin with the portrait of King Tigran the Great and the most famous of the Hellenistic era, the pagan temple of Garni, which is a notable monument of the Armenian-Hellenistic culture, stand out. The third central section presents the most significant events in Armenian history: the declaration of Christianity as the state religion and the creation of the Armenian alphabet.

GEORGIAN MANUSCRIPTS

Georgia is one of the countries in the Middle East with a rich tradition and heritage of handwriting. Georgian manuscripts date back to the 5th-20th centuries, the period of rise is the 10th-13th centuries. In that period, high-value scrolls rich in miniatures were created, which was associated with the flourishing of Byzantine art and the activities of Queen Tamar (1184-1213). 31 Georgian manuscripts and 60 fragments are kept in the collection of "Other Language Manuscripts and Fragments" in Matenadaran. They were acquired through donations and purchases, mostly between the 1940s and 1980s. These manuscripts date from the 13th to the 20th centuries and cover almost all types of medieval literature. Gospel, Mashtots, Book of Psalms, books of hours, sermon books, collections, medicine books, charms, etc. Among the manuscripts, 1979 stands out. The Gospel of the 13th century (non-language fund No. 161) presented to Matenadaran by Vazgen I, Catholicos of All Armenians, decorated with high-art miniatures and ornaments.

Donation window

Since its foundation, the collections of Matenadaran have been and continue to be replenished both through donations and acquisitions. In this sense, the contribution of the donors of Matenadaran, individual philanthropists and organizations who donated manuscripts, in enriching the manuscript funds is invaluable. Only a few of the hundreds of manuscripts donated to the Matenadaran are displayed. Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen A. is one of the great benefactors of Matenadaran. We are indebted to him for the earliest dated (supposedly 7th century) complete account of the Matenadaran manuscripts, the Vehamor Avetaran, as well as the 10th century original miniature Vehamor Avetaran. With the direct efforts of Vazgen Vehapar, the famous Toros Roslin's "Gospel of Olives" was brought to Armenia. Vazgen A.'s donations are not limited to those listed here. more than a dozen rare manuscripts are stored in Matenadaran named after him.

The Golden Age – The formation of Armenian historiography an

The period following the invention of writing, which covers almost the entire 5th century, is considered the golden age of Armenian culture. Armenian bibliography flourished during that period. Along with the enlightening and translation activities carried out by Mesrop Mashtots and his students, an impetus was given to the creation of independent literature with its various branches: historiography, philosophy, prose, hymn writing, etc. The most comprehensive field of Golden Age bibliography is historiography. The first Armenian historians (Agatanghegos, Pavstos Buzand, Koryun, Yeghishe, Ghazar Parpetsi, Movses Khorenatsi), one after the other, wrote the Armenian history of the III-V centuries. All are characterized by national content related to a certain historical period, certain cases and events. The vast majority of them have one common title: "Armenian History". Historians of the Golden Age, being well acquainted with the main sources of interpretation of the Bible, as well as with Greco-Roman historical-philosophical thought, used and developed new methods and concepts of historiography. For example, Gazar Parpetsi demands from the historian not to add what did not exist, not to reduce and not to reduce what did exist, but to write with reasonable caution. And here Movses Khorenatsi writes in "History of Armenians" that "history without chronology is not accurate".

Friday book, Venice, 1512.

The Friday book is the first printed book in the Armenian language. It was printed in Venice in 1512 by Hakob Meghapart, the first Armenian printer. The book is a collection of prayers, wishes and spiritual poems, where there are also excerpts from the Gospels, as well as Grigor Narekatsi's poem "The Book of Tragedy". It is known as a healing prayer book to ward off witchcraft. Has 124 pages with ornate titles. One copy is stored in the library, which is the oldest book in the book fund. The book was called "Friday Book" after the first book of the collection entitled "Friday", as well as because of the fact that Friday is dedicated to the Holy Cross. This is a unique sample where the transition from manuscript to printed book is clearly visible. The first Armenian printers, preserving the traditions of handwritten book design, did everything to make the transition from manuscript to print as smooth as possible. Here, too, as in the manuscripts, each new matter or chapter begins in red, and the initial letter is an ornate script. The printing was done in two colors, mostly black, and the ornate capitals in red. It is symbolic that, in order to assimilate the Armenian letters, Meghapart chose handwriting-like letter samples, also using ornaments and decorations. The nickname "Meghapart" added to the name of the first printer of the Armenian book is also not accidental, which is also connected with the writing-bibliographic tradition, in the records written in old handwritten journals, writers put humiliating adverbs next to their names, so Hakob wrote "meghapart" before his name: (guilty, criminal), which later became his nickname.

Ananias Shirakatsi, Book of Numerology, manuscript: 1283.

Valuable scientific works of primary source importance have reached us from Anania Shirakat, including a number of works dedicated to notarial science, geography, cosmology. Shown here is Shirakatsi's "Book of Arithmetic" work with mathematical content, which is a perfect textbook with tables summarizing the 4 arithmetic operations. It is the first mathematical work in the Armenian bibliography.

Matenadaran

The Matenadaran's museum complex is located in the institute's old, original building. What was formerly a single exhibition hall now consists of fifteen halls in which thousands of temporary, changeable and exclusive exhibits are on display. Manuscript, fragments of manuscripts, documents, old printed books, precious bindings, individual miniatures, and more are shown from the Matenadaran's database of roughly 23,000 manuscripts.

SLAVONIC MANUSCRIPTS

The Slavic script has two variants, the ancient "Glagolitic" and the slightly later developed "Cyrillic", which is graphically closer to the Greek script and was much more widespread than the previous form. The oldest example of writing is the lithographic inscription of King Samuel of the Bulgars (10th century). The Cyrillic script, originally invented for the Old Bulgarian (Old Slavic) language, was gradually adopted by other Slavic peoples: Serbs, Russians, Ukrainians, Rusyns, Belarusians, and others. With that same script, many Church Slavonic originals were created, that is, in the ritual language created on the basis of the ancient Bulgarian language and accepted by most of the Slavic peoples. Matenadaran keeps 33 individual manuscripts (complete and incomplete) in Cyrillic script, mostly from the 18th-19th centuries. Some of them - the Gospel, different types of notated hymnal collections of the ancients, Psalms, etc. - are written in Church Slavonic, and some in Russian. The last group is divided into three parts: a) advocative polemical and spiritual literature of ancient Christians, b) academic works and fiction books, most of which once belonged to the library of the Lazarian Seminary, c) translations of the creed and liturgy of the Armenian Church by Archbishop Hovsep Arghtyun, leader of the Russian-Armenian Diocese. The Matenadaran also has Armenian manuscripts with Russian parts (mostly 19th century), which are usually bilingual collections containing documents or letters. 34 such manuscripts are known today. There are also old Slavic parchment fragments (about 10 units) preserved in Armenian manuscripts, as well as a Novgorod script (13th century) carved on birch bark.

Gospel, 1676, Karahat village

In 1676, Grigor managed to paint only the parallel words and the images of the evangelists of the Gospel commissioned by the priest Moses and written by Barsegh. He dies, leaving the book he started in the same year unfinished. Barsegh completes the unfinished work of his father by painting the lordly images.

FRENCH

Matenadaran Manuscript No. 142 (1795 and 1738) contains records of customs duties levied on goods arriving at Brest (France): Registres des droits mis sur les marchandises arrivés a Brest. The book is in French (also in Greek and Spanish). Matenadaran No. 45 (1720) is a French extract from the court administration registers: Extraits des registres des requestes ordinaires de l'hotel du roy.

Ptolemy's (100-170) I printed map book, Geography

This series of donations includes the first printed map book of Ptolemy (100-170), presented to the Matenadaran by Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first president of RA, the Geography. Printed in Ulm, Germany in the 15th century. Armenians living in Moscow presented this ancient book to the first president, who in turn presented it to Matenadaran. A pair of manuscripts donated by the third president of RA, Serzh Sargsyan, are also presented here, the first was presented to Matenadaran on the occasion of the opening of the new building, the second on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. In 1602 This precious Gospel by Sargis Mokatsi was purchased from the Sotheby's auction and given to St. Sargsyan, in turn, reassigned to Matenadaran. This gospel with a luxurious cover is a gift of French-Armenian philanthropist Rafael Markosyan. The latter is one of the major donors of Matenadaran, the number of manuscripts donated by him reaches four dozen. This series of donations also includes the copy of Copernicus's book "On the Celestial Revolutions", which was presented to Matenadaran by the President of Poland, A. Kwasnevsky.

Sciences

This section is dedicated to the achievements of the scientific mind of medieval Armenia. Anania Shirakatsi, a 7th century scientist, mathematician, philosopher, geographer and cosmologist, occupies a unique place in this arena. He was the first to put the study of exact sciences on stable foundations in Armenia. Born in Anania village of Shirak. He studied at the local Dprevank school, then traveled and studied in different countries for 11 years, eight years in Trabzon, at the school of the famous Greek scientist Tychikos. Returning to his homeland, he engaged in scientific activities and pedagogy. In Shirak, he opened a school and wrote textbooks. With his scientific approaches and ideas, he tried to revolutionize the educational system of the time. The sphere of Anania Shirakatsu's scientific activity is extremely large. He was engaged in almost all advanced sciences of the time: history, philosophy, astronomy, geography, mathematics, alchemy, etc.

HEBREW MANUSCRIPTS

A large number of Hebrew manuscripts are preserved in libraries and archives around the world: about 60,000 manuscripts and 200,000 fragments. The largest and oldest collection is found in the manuscript room of the Jewish Synagogue in Old Cairo. The collection of Hebrew manuscripts of Mashtotsyan Matenadaran consists of 160 manuscripts and 9 fragments. The first three cylindrical leather Torahs were donated to Etchmiadzin Matenadaran in 1937 by the archaeologist Ashkarbek Kalantar. Subsequently, the number of Hebrew manuscripts increased year by year through donations as well as acquisitions from individuals and organizations, but a dramatic increase was recorded in 1986, when 126 scroll scrolls of the Torah, copied in the 18th century (Torah means " teaching, law." It includes the first five books of the Old Testament, so it is also called the Pentateuch). The only book in the Matenadaran collection is manuscript No. 148, which, unlike the others, is not an imitation of the Pentateuch or the book of Esther, but an interpretation of the Pentateuch. The manuscript is called Psak Grotz, the original of which was written in the Nicomedia province of Asia Minor, in the 14th century, by Aaron ben Elieah (1300-1369), the 18th century copy kept in the Matenadaran belongs to the pen of Moshe ben Abraham. 2011 is unique among the scroll scrolls of the Book of Esther of the Old Testament. the manuscript in the silver case was purchased. The collection also includes two types of charms, which Jews call tefillin and mezuzah.

BILINGUAL GERMAN-LATIN MANUSCRIPTS

Matenadaran Manuscript No. 109 (1483) is the Statute of the Brotherhood of Butchers of Lübeck: Statut der Bruderschaft der Knockenhauer in Lübeck. Manuscript No. 38 of the Matenadaran is the Chronicle of Lübeck, No. 160 (1731) is a commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, No. 40 (14-15th centuries) is a collection of Psalms and spiritual poems: Psalterium, Hymnarium.

Gospel, 7th-17th century (before 1060), pen: Stepanos

Ancient Parchment Gospel. The exact date of the writing of the Gospel is not known. Written in the 10th-11th centuries, the pen is Stepanos. The manuscript is written in all-line iron script. Priest Stepanos also painted the images of the evangelists and window decorations. The first date mentioned in Matyan is 1060. This year, at the Arsharunyats school in the Kanchnut desert, the Gospel was repaired at the expense of father David, the list and name lists were filled in, then it was decorated with flowers and compiled by the pen of Hovhannes Sandghkavanets, and the jeweler Sargis made the illustrations of the altars and decorated them with silver. Taking into account the date of the renovation, the manuscript was written before 1060. Before 1272, the Gospel was saved and brought from Caesarea and for a long time it was located in Talish village, Jraberd province of Artsakh, near the Begunts family, which is why it got the name Begunts Gospel.

Agathanghegos, 5th century, History of Armenians, manuscript

One of the historians of the 5th century, Agathanghegos is the author of the first book known to us with the title "History of Armenians". The name Agathanghegos is of Greek origin, it means bringer of good news, harbinger. His book covers the 3rd and early 4th centuries, especially detailing the historical event of the declaration of Christianity as the state religion in 301 AD.

Nerses Shnorali, Poems, manuscript: 1644.

One of the peaks of medieval Armenian poetry is the poet, musician, theologian, Armenian Catholicos Nerses Shnorali from 1166-1173. He was one of the most educated people of his time, endowed with exceptional poetic and musical skills, for which he was nicknamed Shnorali. Belongs to the famous princely family of Pahlavunis. He received his education at the Red Monastery of Cilicia. After the election of the elder brother, Grigor B. Pahlavunu, as Armenian Catholicos, the brothers settled in the Romkla fortress of Cilicia, where both of them, along with their pastoral and ecclesiastical works, carried out a prolific literary activity. The literary heritage of Shnoralu is extremely rich and diverse. His pen includes beautifully valuable prose works, translation and interpretation works, but Nerses Shnorali is more powerful and great as a poet. He is rightfully considered an unparalleled master of poetic art. both in content and in form, Shnoralu's verse work is a new word in Armenian medieval literature. He created in various genres, authored many poems, verses, sermons, riddles, treasures, verses, hymns and other poems. With his verses, Shnarali not only contributed to the enrichment and development of national poetry, but also brought Armenian poetic art to a qualitatively new level. Neses Shurali is one of those authors whose works were very popular and widely spread in medieval manuscript collections.

Gospel, 13th century, Cilicia

The best samples of the Cilicia school of miniatures of the 13th and 14th centuries approach European early Renaissance art with elements of illustration (sense of pictorial depth, subtlety of execution, flexibility of depicting human figures with the expression of different mental states in the portraits, luxurious decorative decoration, etc.). The patrons of a significant part of the manuscripts that came down to us from Cilicia were the members of the royal family, princes, Catholicos and high-ranking clergymen, accordingly, the luxurious style of illustration of the scrolls is also an expression of the artistic taste of the high-ranking patrons. The Armenian miniature painting of Cilicia, based on the rich national artistic traditions, was also influenced by the neighboring countries, especially Byzantine art. At the same time, the Armenian masters of Cilicia had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Western European illustrated manuscripts brought to Cilicia by the crusaders.

History of Alexander the Great, 7th century

In the early medieval translated literature, works with a secular content occupy relatively little space. The oldest of them is "Alexander's History". It is a semi-mythical, historical, literary, behavioral and miraculous poem, dedicated to the life of Alexander the Great and his campaigns. The novel has been attributed to famous and unknown authors (Aristotle, Aesop and others), as well as to Callisthenes, a participant in Alexander's campaigns. Later, all versions were rejected and "Alexander's novel" was presented as a work of unknown author under the name of pseudo-Callisthenes conventional author. It has undergone changes and edits at various times. Among the earliest translations, Latin, Armenian, Georgian and Assyrian are known. "The History of Alexander" was such a prestigious work in medieval Armenia that many originals with different editions, additions and illustrations have reached us, an important part of which is kept in the Mashtotsian Matenadaran. Among these manuscripts, the book of the famous poet and miniaturist of the 16th century, Zakaria Gnunetsu, stands out. The latter imitated, edited and enriched with his own kafas and illustrations the "History of Alexander" translated from Greek into Armenian of the 5th century. The manuscript contains many fascinating miniatures devoted to the life of Alexander.

Aristotle, The Rules, 17th century

In the second period of the development of Armenian translated literature, church works gradually gave way to translations of works of a more theoretical, confessional and philosophical nature, related to the new demands of Armenian reality, the need to assimilate philosophy and scientific achievements. In this period, with the efforts of the representatives of the Greek school, the "Grammar" of Dionysios Trakatsi, the "Book of Pytho" by Afthonios, the introduction of Aristotle's subterfuges, the works of Aristotle and Plato, the philosophical comments of David Anhaght, etc., were translated into Armenian.

CHAGHATA MANUSCRIPTS

Among the collection of Arabic manuscripts of the Matenadaran, 6 are Chaghatai, which is an Eastern Turkic language (Doğu Türkçesi), which was widespread as a written language in Central Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries. (not used now). Among them, the manuscript No. 2206, the poem "Farhad and Shirin" by Alisher Navoi (pen: Molla Mahmud, 1859) is valuable. It is an oriental folk legend that has served as the basis for the works of a number of poets. It is believed that this tradition originated in Iran and the Caucasus.

Prayer book

This paper prayer book, distinguished by its small size and delicacy, also belongs to the pen of Hovhannes Mankasarents. The joint exhibition of these manuscripts bearing the creative stamp of the same pen and very different in terms of size allows to make sure that the medieval Armenian scribes not only possessed the writing skills, but were also able to successfully apply them in different materials and sizes.

Inscribed fragment, T-X century.

One of the original manifestations of Armenian medieval culture can be considered khazography, the art of Armenian musical writing. The notches (line, letter, character) are considered to be the Armenian phonetic signs, the notes. They are written above the line, and in the case of dense text, also on the line. Out of about 2,000 notated books that have reached us: Sharaknots, Chashots, Jamagirk, Manrusmung, 1,000 are kept in the Mashtotsian Matenadaran. Separate sheets torn from ancient manuscripts, incised fragments, have also reached us. This is one of the oldest inscribed fragments, it belongs to the 3rd-7th centuries.

Davit Anhaght, The Limits of Meaningfulness, manuscript: 128

The invention of writing and the subsequent rise of spiritual culture also had an important influence on the formation of philosophical thought. In the V-VI centuries, a rich independent and translated literature of philosophy was created. Davit Anhaght is considered the founder of the Armenian national philosophy of the time, especially its secular direction. He received his education in Alexandria, was a student of the famous philosopher Olympiadoros the Younger, taught at his school for many years, and was declared an "invincible" philosopher for his knowledge and debating skills. In Western literature, David Anhaght is also known as "David Armenios" or David Hay. Davit Anhaght's philosophy had a great impact on the development of the philosophical thought of not only Armenians, but also Greek, Arab, Georgian and other peoples. As a representative of the neoplatonic school, he tried to combine the teachings of Plato and Aristotle, to show that there are no radical contradictions between them. According to Davit Anhaght, philosophy is a divine gift given to man, which is meant to illuminate, ennoble and beautify the human soul and transport it from the material world to the divine.

Gospel, 1166, Rome

It is a Cilician parchment Gospel, which was sent to St. Romkla in 1166 at the request of bishop Arakel Antztunya. Kozma modeled the pen in Grigor Lusavorich Church. In 1244 Prince Grigor Dopyan received the manuscript in Artsakh and presented it to Khadavank.

Gospel, 1577

The Gospel of Khacheni St. In 1577, at the Hakoba Monastery, Saghatel Abeghan, a member of the monastery, made an example at the request of Archbishop Simeon. At the request of Usta Karapet, the last recipient of the book, in 1594 in the village of Avants in Vaspurakan, the famous miniature painter Zakaria Avants was decorated with flowers.

Philon of Alexandria, Lands, manuscript: 1342.

Philon of Alexandria, a Jewish thinker of the Hellenistic era, is the author of a number of religious and philosophical works, some of which were translated into Armenian in the 5th century. By the way, some of Philo's famous works have reached us only in Armenian (grabar) translation, their Greek originals have not been preserved. Among those works are: "Owner's Providence", "Ownership", "The Solution", "Owner's Property and Livestock" and others. It is assumed that the Armenian translations of Philo's works were made by Movses Khorenatsi. The fact that some parts of Philo's works are found in Yeghishe's "History" gives grounds for confirming that Philo's works and ideas were known in Armenian reality from the early Middle Ages.

ASSOCIATE ARABIC (SPRING) MANUSCRIPTS

The number of units summarized in the Assyrian Arabic (Garshuni) collection of Matenadaran reaches 24, including 22 complete manuscripts and 2 fragments. All manuscripts are written in the Assyrian Serto script. The themes and literary genres represented in the manuscripts are diverse. There are liturgical texts, canons of coronation and baptism, a book of advice, a book of psalms and manuscripts on other theological topics, as well as hagiographies, didactic stories, collections of hymns. The "Book of Bees" by Soghomon Khlatetsu (Zhg. century) was found in the manuscript Hmr.177, and Hmr. 170 Zh. is the famous Assyrian-Arabic wordlist of the century Assyrian linguist Hasan bar Bahlul. Collection Hmr. Manuscripts 178, 183, and 185 are songbooks, containing hymns and songs in Assyrian, Arabic, and Ottoman, all in Assyrian script. The manuscript collection includes Zh.-I. centuries. Despite the relatively late period, some of them, especially hagiography, collections of hymns, are unique, have important historical value, while others are distinguished by the memories preserved in them. The collection was formed, for the most part, thanks to donations. The donors are: Hakob G. Hakobyan, Gevorg Gamperyan, Mihran Minasyan, Harutyun Torosyan, Chorch Khorozyan.

Dinner, 1665

In 1665, Grigor decorated Chashots with flowers for Sargis rabunapet of the Chareka desert, painting thematic images, half altars and decorative motifs.

Ancient manuscripts and fragments

Grigor Narekatsi, Matyan tragedy, manuscript: 1173.

Armenian literature is one of the oldest in the world. It reached its peak in the X-XII centuries. Grigor Narekatsi, the founder of the Armenian renaissance, the pinnacle of Armenian philosophical thought, lived and created in this period. One of the masterpieces of Narekatsi's literary heritage and of Armenian medieval literature in general is the collection of prayers in verse "The Book of Tragedy", which rightfully belongs to the group of exceptional artistic values created by mankind. Written in 1001-1003, it is still very popular. also known as "Narek", Narek was believed to have healing properties. As far back as the 12th century, Narekatsi was ranked among the saints, and in 2015, Pope Francis declared St. Grigor Narekatsi the Patriarch of the Ecumenical Church. The lasting artistic value of the poem "Matyan bergegtya" is determined by the depth of semantic shades, as much as by the infinite richness of poetic art. Not only the famous figures of Armenian poetry of the Middle Ages but also of modern times learned and inspired from Narekat. The poem "The Book of Tragedy" has been translated, in whole or in part, into about 30 languages of the world. It is no coincidence that in 2015 Pope Francis declared Grigor Narekatsi to be the head of the Ecumenical Church.

Ivory cover, Etchmiadzin Gospel and 6-7th century. miniature

Covers, which are usually made of wood and covered with leather, often also decorated with silver and semi-precious stones, are of special value in Armenian book art. Among the ancient compositions, the magnificent ivory composition of the "Echmiadzin Gospel" of the 6th century, which is one of the monuments of early Christian Armenian art, is famous. Joined as a team in Bgheno-Noravank (Syunik) in 989. imitated from the Gospel. Each of the ivory flaps has five carved panels that are fluted and interlocking. The ivory panels kept in Ravenna, the Vatican and the National Library of Paris have exactly the same pentagonal external composition. The "Echmiadzin Gospel" also contains four ancient miniatures of Armenian miniatures of the 6th-7th centuries, which were later attached to the manuscript (MM hand. 2374). The four miniatures represent the themes of the Annunciation, the Annunciation of Zechariah, the Adoration of the Magi and the Baptism, in ancient iconographic traditions. Also valuable are the dates of the book's writing in 989. the miniatures that were created in Syunik, Bgheno Noravank.

BILINGUAL FRENCH-LATIN MANUSCRIPT

Manuscript No. 27 of Matenadaran is a 15th century Horarium.

Amirdovlat of Amasia, The Study of Medicine, 1459.

This work with the title "Study of medicine" written by the great medieval Armenian physician Amirdovlat Amasiatsi is dedicated to the issues of human anatomy, hygiene, pathology and pharmacology. Amasiatic (he was born from Amasia, from where the name component) studied medicine in Mesopotamia or Arabia, studied ancient and medieval medicine in depth. He mastered Greek, Latin, Persian, Arabic, Turkish. He traveled to different countries, had a life full of troubles and difficulties as a medieval wandering scholar and doctor. He lived in Constantinople for many years, was a palace physician, and was proclaimed "Chief Surgeon". There are facts in the biography of doctor Amirdovlat that characterize him not only as a talented doctor, but also as a scientist-intellectual interested in saving his national cultural landmarks. Being a versatile and knowledgeable scholar, Amirdovlat created his personal library, for which purpose he collected and copied valuable manuscripts and bibliographic sources. Amirdovlat's bibliographic heritage is rich: five medical and pharmacological works: "Study of medicine", "Useful medicine", "Angitats anpet", "Akhrapatin" and other works. His works describe in detail diseases of internal organs (more than 200), etiology, typical symptoms, treatment and care of the patient, as well as methods of their treatment and nutritional therapy. For the treatment of diseases, Amasiatsi mainly used medicinal herbs of the Armenian flora, also used anti-toxic herbs (lavender, yarrow, iron grass, etc.) and plants and resins of vegetable, animal and organic origin that increase the tone of the organism (lysthac, sorghum), and increase cheerfulness and vitality.

The Lobby Mosaic

In the entrance hall, in the upper part of the opposite arch, there is a mosaic "Battle of Avarair" or "Vardanak", dedicated to the brave men of Vardan. They were the first martyrs who consciously died for the sake of the Motherland and faith, becoming a symbol of the Armenian struggle against foreign invaders. The battle that took place in 451 is one of the most important episodes of the national liberation struggle of the Armenian people and left a deep mark on the thinking of the Armenian people, especially on the formation of the Armenian identity. This image, created from unpolished stone particles and color blocks, is the work of artist Van Khachatur, which is considered one of the best examples of modern Armenian mosaic art. The artist used extremely bright orange, red, yellow colors that make the image more expressive.

Old Man in Bloom, Self-portrait, 14th century, Vaspurakan

Tserun Tsaghkole is one of the prominent representatives of the Vaspurakan school of miniature painting. He lived and created in the second half of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century in the city of Vostan in Vaspurakan, which is one of the famous centers of medieval Armenian writing. One of the branches of Vaspurakan's miniature painting is associated with the name of Tserun Tsaghkoh, the Tserun school. What is most characteristic in his miniatures is the use of the so-called isocephalic (planar) way of constructing compositions (placing the faces on the same level) and, especially, the desire for concretization, which comes from the ideas and features of folk art. It is the factor that "gives breath" to the works not only of Tserun, but also of many of Vaspurakan's miniaturists, which certainly comes from the roots of folk art. Tserun Tsaghkoh's works are characterized by clear and complete drawings, bright and pure colors. The old man is also a master of portraiture. In the manuscripts created by him, one can find biblical characters, portraits of famous people, and self-portraits. We are indebted to him for two portraits of Grigor Narekatsi, a brilliant representative of Armenian medieval poetry. Five manuscripts copied and illustrated by Tserun Tsaghkoh are stored in the Mashtotsian Matenadaran.

Gospel, 7th century

The Gospel is a manuscript of the Artsakh-Utik school, it was copied in the 14th century, the pen and the exact place of writing are not known. The pictorial solution of the "Mysterious Supper" is very interesting. This original form is new in Christian art. The view seems to be viewed from above. Christ and the eleven apostles are seated around a circular table with halos on their heads. The table looks like an ornamented cross in a circle, around which all the apostles seem to be preparing to share the teacher's fate. The artist depicted the foot of Christ on the head of the apostle next to him, connecting the teacher directly to the apostles. The woven cross symbolizes the surrender-sacrifice of the Lord. In the lower right corner of the picture, Judas is separated from the general group, again with a halo and a full face, with the inscription "Judas areal zaptarn and el" above his head. In the "Witchcraft" image, Adam and Eve, sitting under the tree of wisdom, are wearing clothes that symbolize that they have already tasted the forbidden fruit and have been expelled from paradise. This form of depiction is rare and was not widespread in Armenian medieval art.

Mkhitar Heratsi, Comfort of Jermats, 1279

The author of this work entitled "German Consolation" is Mkhitar Heratsi, a famous Armenian scientist of the 12th century, the founder of Armenian classical medicine. It was written in 1184, at the suggestion of the Catholicos of the time Grigor D Tgha. Heratsi enjoyed great fame and popularity during his lifetime, traveled from country to country, studied the teachings of the father of medicine Hippocrates, the Roman Galen and the Arab Avicenna, researched the medicinal properties of various plants, began to apply them to other diseases, later summarized his studies in "German Comfort". in the paper. The oldest script that has come down to us, written in 1279, is kept in the Mashtotsian Matenadaran. This is what Heratsi himself writes in the preface of the book. "We wrote this book and you called it 'German Comfort' so that it will comfort the doctor with learning and the patient with health." The coincidence of the word with the doctor's name is also noteworthy. Heratsi's "Consolation from Germany" has been the "Bible" of Armenian doctors for centuries, which testifies to the high scientific level of Armenian medicine during the reign of Mkhitar Heratsi. He did a lot of work in creating Armenian medical terms, some of which are still used today. Yerevan State Medical University is named after him.

Manuscripts of translated works

The translation movement in Armenia began immediately after the invention of writing (405), with the direct efforts and active participation of the spiritual leaders of the Armenian people, Mesrop Mashtots and Sahak Partev. Since its creation, the Armenian national bibliography has always been accompanied by translations from different languages, mainly from Greek, Assyrian, Latin, and Arabic. Lesser translations were also made in the Middle Ages from Persian, Georgian, Old French, Ethiopic, English, Italian, Russian, and other languages. Translation works played a significant role in the development of independent Armenian bibliography and enrichment of the Armenian language.

"Msho Charyntir" the largest manuscript

"Msho Charyntir", the largest parchment manuscript in Armenian, was written and illustrated in 1200-1202 in the Senior Monastery of Yerznka. Contains speeches, sermons, sermons, messages, rules, conversations and other materials. To write the giant manuscript, sheets of parchment of appropriate sizes were developed, one calf skin was used for each sheet (70.5 cm x 55.5 cm). The manuscript is written in large, linear iron script. According to the record, in 1203, during the Muslim invasions, the owner of the manuscript, Astvatatur, was killed, and his property was confiscated. A Turkish official from the city of Khlat obtains the book by deception. The congregants of the Holy Apostles Monastery in Mcho, led by Bishop Yesa, with the help of the residents of Mush and its surroundings and as a result of negotiations lasting about 1 year, bought and returned the manuscript for 4000 silver. In 1205, Charyntir was taken to Holy Apostles Monastery, becoming one of the main sanctuaries. It was kept there for more than eight hundred years, until 1915. The giant manuscript weighing 28 kg, divided into two parts, miraculously survived the Genocide. There are testimonies that two Armenian emigrant sisters strapped on their backs and overcame great difficulties to reach Eastern Armenia from Mush. A half of the book reached S. with the migrant groups. Etchmiadzin, and the other half was buried (hidden for safety) in the yard of the Armenian Church in Erzurum. Years later, this half was discovered by Nikolai de Robert, an officer of the Russian army, who took it with him to Tiflis, and when it was discovered that the manuscript was Armenian, he donated it to the museum of the Armenian Benevolent Society. Later, the two halves of the manuscript were joined together in 1929. Etchmiadzin Manuscript House. Now both halves are kept in Matenadaran named after Mesrop Mashtots. Originally, the manuscript had 660 leaves.

Koryun, E century, Wark Mashtots, manuscript: 1774.

One of the most important works of the Golden Age bibliography is Koryun's "Wark Mashtots", one of the first independent works written by Mesrop Mashtots. He studied in Vagharshapat, the spiritual capital of Armenians, then he was sent to Assyria and K. to improve his studies with a group of other students. Polis. After returning to his homeland, he was ordained a bishop, engaged in church and translation activities, participated in the Armenian translation of the Bible. After the death of his teacher, on the order of Armenian Catholicos Hovsep Vayotsdzortsu, he composed the conduct of Mesrop Mashtots, that is, the biography, around 443-450. Koryun's ambivalence is the first and only reliable source of the intellectual and political movement that unfolded in Armenia at the beginning of the 5th century, written by a contemporary and a participant in the events. It conveys important information about the creation of not only Armenian, but also Georgian and Aghvan scripts by the hand of Mashtots. Many examples of "Behaviour" have come down to us from different centuries, the one shown is a book of the collection created in 1774.

Anania Shirakatsi, Geography, 5th century, manuscript: 7th c

Shirakatsi's "Glass" is one of the masterpieces of medieval Armenian geographical thought. It is a unique source for the study of the historical geography of Armenia, and at the same time contains valuable information about the history and geography of the neighboring countries in the early Middle Ages.

MANUSCRIPTS IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE

The Armenian alphabet, due to its phonetic perfection and often without the use of additional symbols, was used to write in a number of languages, and the manuscripts of the Armenian alphabet kept in the Matenadaran prove that the Armenian people, being in contact with other peoples throughout history and communicating with their culture, created a unique version of the Armenian alphabet. cultural heritage. Almost without exception, the authors of Armenian manuscripts in other languages were Armenians speaking the given language. 425 manuscripts with Armenian letters in other languages are stored in Matenadaran, of which 422 manuscripts are written in Armenian Turkish, 2 manuscripts are written in Armenian Persian, 1 written in Ghpchagh are fully and partially preserved in 9 Armenian manuscripts, and Kurdish in Armenian are partially preserved in 6 Armenian manuscripts. In the Armenian manuscripts, there are many religious and artistic passages in Armenian script, word lists, there are also passages in Armenian script, Arabic, Georgian, Greek, Russian, Polish, French. Armenian Turkish manuscripts were written in the 17th-20th centuries, they are independent manuscripts and translated works of folklore, historiography, fiction, religious ethics, theology, ecclesiastical, lexicographic nature, as well as natural sciences, medicine, everyday life, trade and economic relations. Armenian Persian manuscripts have reached us since the 18th century, but there are Armenian manuscripts from the 15th century, manuscript No. 7117. Complete manuscripts are religious, but in Armenian manuscripts there are also parts of artistic, dictionary nature. Armenian Ghpchagh manuscripts date back to the 16th-17th centuries, they are dictionaries, theological works, sermons, gospel, medicine book, etc. The oldest text in Armenian Kurdish is prayer in manuscript No. 7117, 15th century. The other parts are religious and folkloric in nature: rhymes, sayings, sayings, songs, etc.

Naghash Hovnatan, Tagharan, manuscript: 1765.

Poet, songwriter, painter and flourishing Naghash Hovnatan is one of the exceptional figures of Armenian culture ("naghash" in Arabic means "decorator", that's how artists were called in several countries of the East, including Armenia). He is the founder of the Hovnathanian dynasty of Armenian painters, whose representatives, in the 17th-19th centuries, played an important role in the cultural life of both Armenian and neighboring peoples for almost two centuries. He was born in 1661. in the village of Shorot (now Nakhichevan). He lived and worked in Tbilisi for some time. According to Georgian sources, he was the court singer and artist of King Vakhtang VI of Georgia. In 1679 After the great earthquake in Yerevan, he was invited to Yerevan, illustrated by S. Poghos-Petros, St. Zovoror, S. Astvatsatsin Catholic churches, and in the 1710s. illustrated Etchmiadzin Cathedral. Naghash Hovnathan's illustrations and murals are distinguished by the splendor of ornaments and national expressiveness. Naghash Hovnathan also acted as a gifted songwriter and poet at the same time. Moreover, Naghash Hovnatan is the founder of Armenian medieval poetry, and as such he takes his rightful place among the notable poets of the Middle Ages. The richest and most complete manuscripts of his poems are stored in the Mashtotsian Matenadaran. Naghashyan's poems are written with love, joy and party, satirical and sarcastic motifs, in which he reproduced human feelings and moods, staying away from religious restrictions as much as possible. Being a poet and a songwriter at the same time, he skillfully harmonized the national traditional metrical forms with the shough song art, creating a new type of folk-shough songs.

Gospel, 7th century

The book was modeled after St. Khoranashat. In the Astvatsatsin Church. The handwriting was exemplified by the Hunan pen, and the floral decoration was made by Bishop Stepanos.

Medicinal plant, manuscript: 7th century

In the medieval medicine houses, the inscriptions with the title "Herb" are distinguished, where the pictures of medicinal plants and their Persian or Arabic names are given, so that users do not confuse the plants when preparing medicines. The Matenadaran manuscripts really amaze with their forever fresh paints and inks, leather and silver covers, multi-stage processed parchment and other details, which irrefutably testify to the high level of chemical knowledge in medieval Armenia, the appropriate means and materials, with the presence of which only similar values can be created. : Scribes and miniaturists in manuscripts often report methods and recipes for the preparation of high-quality paints and inks, thanks to which our manuscripts have preserved their luster and aesthetic value over the centuries.

ASSYRIAN MANUSCRIPTS

The manuscript tradition of the Assyrians is, in fact, a continuation of the Aramaic written culture. Monasteries served as centers of writing, so it is not surprising that works of a religious nature occupy a significant place in Assyrian bibliography: biblical commentaries, treatises, eschatological texts. Besides them, there are also astrological, grammatical, medical works, maps, predictions and interpretations of dreams, charms. Most of the Assyrian manuscripts that have come down to us are from ЖЖ.-ЖТ. are from centuries and are stored in different manuscripts and private collections around the world. The oldest of them dates back to E. century. The Matenadaran collection of Assyrian manuscripts includes 13 book-form and 2 scroll-form manuscripts, as well as 20 fragments. To this list must be added fragmentary units extracted from the covers of various books. Especially valuable are the Assyrian charms kept in Matenadaran, two of which date back to Ж. in the middle of the century and are among the oldest preserved in the world. Hmr of the collection is also interesting. 7 pieces. It is part of ZHT. Hmr. was brought to London from the monastery called Deir-as-Suryan in the Nitra desert of Egypt in the 19th century and is currently kept in the British Museum. 14,654 manuscripts. In this fragment of the Matenadaran, there is a part of "Passio Alexandri" (Passio Alexandri), which is the only source of this text preserved in Assyrian.

Psalter, 1576, Gandzasar

In 1576, Matyan modeled the Karapet pen at the request of Catholicos Hovhannes from Aghvan, and illustrated the Athanas flower pen with lunate ornaments and ornaments. The pen recommends washing away the "filth of sin" by saying a psalm, because the psalm is a treasure and a source of immortality. The book also has one thematic picture: the psalmist David is sitting on the throne and playing the saz.

Yeznik Koghbatsi, Yegts sect, manuscript: 1280.

Yeznik Koghbatsi is one of the first developers of Armenian medieval theological-philosophical thought. In his work "The Salt Sect" (443-448), which is considered one of the unique examples of the development of philosophical thought by world standards, the author sharply criticizes the sectarian ideas of the time and the doctrines that celebrate them from Christian theological positions. Eznik's work is notable for its encyclopedic richness. It is an important source not only for the history of theological thought, but also for the study of various fields of science: cosmology, medicine, botany, logic, ethnography.

Ancient Armenian paper manuscript, 981.

The ancient Armenian paper manuscript that has reached us, written in 981, is the fourth oldest in the world. It is also the first collection in cursive script that has come down to us. The chronicle was compiled by priest Davit, written by his son, Ghukas, it is believed to be in the Catholicosar of Argina. Contains theological, historiographical, cosmological, tomarical, metrical, geographical, philosophical and other materials of many authors. It includes chronological lists of Armenian and foreign authors, as well as excerpts from famous works that are now considered lost, such as, for example, the Fourth Book of "Armenian History" by Movses Khorenatsi. It was probably compiled as a textbook. Considering the scientific value of the paper manuscript in 1995. Matenadaran published it in full facsimile.

Schools of miniature painting

The value of Armenian handwritten heritage increases especially due to their illustration. In the conditions of close relations with the ancient centers of Christian culture (from where the ancient illustrated books were brought to Armenia), the unique system of Armenian miniature painting was formed and developed, which acquired an original face over the centuries. Armenian medieval miniature painting has also become an expression of artistic thinking and taste, innovative aspirations of the Armenian people and has its certain place in the world cultural heritage. Ancient examples of Armenian miniatures have been preserved since the 6th century. From the 10th-11th centuries, several manuscripts of anonymous miniature painters of unique value have reached us: "Gospel of Etchmiadzin" (989), "Gospel of the Most High" (10th century), "Gospel of Mughnu" (11th century) and etc: The long path of development of Armenian miniature painting resulted in schools and directions distinguished by stylistic diversity and originality. Among the many miniature centers operating in Armenia and abroad, the Ani-Haghpat, Gladzor, Van, Metsop, Tatev, Yerznka, Karin-Erzrum, Crimea and other writing schools are particularly notable, where in the 13-14th centuries. were created by medieval master miniature painters: Stepanos, Ignatios, Margare, Grigor Tsaghkoli, Momik, Avag, Toros Taronatsi, Grigor Tatevatsi, Tserun Tsakhkoli, in the 15th-17th centuries Grigoris, Vardan, Karapet, Mkrtich Naghash, Toma Kafaetsi, Ghazar Baberdtsi, Hakob Jughaetsi and many others. The Cilician school has a special place in Armenian miniature painting. Catholicosanist Rómklan, Drazarki, Grneri, Akneri, Skevra monasteries and the capital Sis were significant centers. Talented miniature painters Grigor Skevratsi, Kirakos, Vardan, Grigor and his son Sargis Pitsak and of course Toros Roslin, the greatest representative of Cilician miniatures, created in these centers.

Hovhan Vorotnetsi, Analysis of Aristotle's Treatises

This manuscript presents the book "Analysis of Aristotle's Subterfuges" by Hovhan Vorotnets (1315-1388), a prominent Armenian thinker, theologian-philosopher of the 14th century. Hovhan Vorortnetsi was the son of the great Armenian prince Ivan. He received his education at Gladzor University, the most famous of medieval Armenia. After the death of his teacher, Yesai Nchetsu, the university was moved to Vorotan province (from which his nickname, Vorotnets, originates), where he carried out pedagogical, scientific and lecturing activities. And in 1373 he founded the famous Tatev University. The teaching of Hovhan Vorotnets is based on the semantic theory developed by Aristotle. According to Hovhan Vorotnets, four elements form the basis of nature, including human existence: earth, water, air and fire. Man is the unity of body and soul. The views of Hovhan Vorotnets left a deep mark on the formation of Armenian philosophical thought. In his person, Aristotelianism reached its peak in medieval Armenia. It is no coincidence that Hovhan Vorotnetsu is considered the inheritor and successor of "Armenian Aristotelianism", the Aristotelian doctrine formed in Armenian philosophy in the early Middle Ages.

Smbat Sparapet, Book of Judgment, manuscript: 7th century

One of the valuable monuments of Armenian medieval jurisprudence is Smbat Sparapet's (1208-1276) "Judgment book" (1265), which contains the political and legal norms of the Armenian state of Cilicia, which were used to regulate the king and his vassals, representatives of secular and spiritual authority. , the legal relationship between lords and serfs, as well as merchants and artisans. The author used the code of the Duchy of Antioch, a neighbor of Cilicia, founded by the crusaders. Smbat's "Judgment Book" is a valuable source especially regarding the relations between the Armenian state of Cilicia and the neighboring countries.

Voscanian Bible, Amsterdam, 1666.

The first printing of the Bible book in Armenian, which was carried out by Oskan Yerevantsi in 1666-1668. In the city of Amsterdam, Holland, it was a turning point in the Armenian reality. Until then, the Holy Book was accessible to the reader only through manuscript imitations. Until Oskan, multiple attempts to print the Bible in Europe, especially in Italy, were in vain. it was entrusted to him to carry out the printing of the Bible in distant Holland, avoiding the censorship of the Vatican. Oskan used the "royal" Bible written in 1295 by the order of King Hetum II of Cilicia as the original. This manuscript was edited by Oskan according to the Latin translation of the Bible, the Vulgate, divided into chapters and houses, and lists were added. He commissioned the engravers to make letterpress, letterpress and seven other types of typefaces. For illustration, he used engravings by Christophel Van Zychem Jr., mainly from the famous works of Raphael, Albrecht Dürer and other famous masters. The Voscan Bible was printed in 2 years and 7 months (1666-1668). The nameplates are made of 4 woodcut pieces, in the right and left ornaments are figures representing the symbols of Faith and Hope. The word Bible is in cursive, the cover is made of leather, thick board. Consists of 1,462 double-column pages and 159 images. Print run: 5000 copies.

Matenadaran

Ishokh, 3rd century, Book about human nature, manuscript: 3r

The book "Book on Nature" by priest Ishokh occupies its unique place in the medieval Armenian natural science and medical literature. In the Middle Ages, Ishok's work was one of the most sought-after books and was repeatedly copied by scribes. Therefore, it is not surprising that only in the collections of Matenadaran, there are about 26 copies of this book, the oldest of which is preserved in the handwriting belonging to the XIV century. Bibliographer Ishok is Assyrian, lived and worked in Cilician Armenia, where Armenian, Assyrian and Greek doctors lived and worked side by side. Especially in Cilician Armenia, at this intersection of cultures connecting the East and the West, the rich traditions of Eastern and ancient science and medicine were preserved. From this point of view, Ishok's "Book" is of great interest, which is a perfect encyclopedia of natural science, which contains a lot of information on astronomy, geography, meteorology, mineralogy, chemistry, botany, zoology and medicine.

Eusebius of Caesarea, chronology, 14th century

After the Bible, the first Armenian translators translated into Armenian the works of the most prominent authorities of the Christian Church, including the works of Athanasius of Alexandria, Barsegh of Caesarea, Hovhan Voskeberan, Evagros of Pontus, Eusebius of Caesarea, and others. From Greek and Assyrian were translated the most famous works of classical literature in almost every genre: grammar, rhetoric, philosophy, chronology, religious and exegetical literature, later also history, even romances. There are works that have survived and reached us thanks to the Armenian translation, such as the "Chronicle" of Eusebius of Caesarea, the original of which, as is known, was burned in the fire of the library of Alexandria in the 7th century, and the Armenian translation was made in the 5th century. In the 19th century, the Mkhitaryan fathers translated it into Latin, and already in the 20th century it was translated into the original language, Greek. There are dozens of such examples.

Gospel, 13th century, Vaspurakan

Vaspurakan's school of miniatures, whose ancient samples have been preserved since the 9th century, represents a completely unique direction of painting. Since the early Middle Ages, many monasteries in Vaspurakan (Vani province) have had writing centers where thousands of cursive writings were written and illustrated. The Vaspurakan school of miniature painting was most prominent in the 14th-16th centuries. Many writers and miniaturists have appeared, whose works are characterized by the simplest style of early Christian art, as well as by the closeness of national culture and traditions. In Vaspurakan, more than in any other school of Armenian miniatures, the pictorial, sometimes simple, narrative character characteristic of Armenian folk art, seasoned with national-local ideas and folklore elements, which infect with their directness, simplicity and sincerity, is significant. During the mentioned period, the region was under the rule of foreign Muslim rulers, in difficult economic conditions. Since the handwritten book was widely popular among the people, a large number of ledgers were created, which were mostly written on paper and with inexpensive materials, without the use of gold. Perhaps this is also the reason why Vaspurakan's style of miniature painting is sometimes called a "folk" direction in literature. A manuscript of the Vaspurakan school is presented here.

A fragment of the 5th century

The oldest manuscript preserved in Armenian belongs to the 5th century. It was cut and pasted into a later manuscript, which acted as a shield between the cover and the manuscript.

Petrified manuscript

This fragment of the petrified manuscript was found in 1873 in one of the caves around Hagpat Monastery. In ancient times, manuscripts were often hidden in caves in order to save them from robbery and destruction. It happened that they became petrified under the influence of moisture and fungi. In the case of this manuscript, we are dealing with just such a case. After research, it was found that the find is a part of a parchment manuscript belonging to the 10th-11th centuries and contains the L.-KHT. the heads.

Gospel, 1477, village Egepat (Basen), pen: Elder Melikset

The Gospel was exemplified in 1477 in the village of Egipat in Bassen province. After 150 years of copying, the manuscript reached Khoranashat and was thoroughly revised. Here too the 5 leaves of the beginning of the manuscript have been added with their miniatures. In the "Entry into Jerusalem" image, Jesus is shown riding a donkey in the upper part, with a large crowd of visitors in the lower part. The image "Escape to Egypt" is also unique. Joseph walks in front, followed by Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms. In medieval Christian iconography, this theme was presented in a general scheme. after Joseph walking in front is Mary holding the child and sitting on the donkey, sometimes the child is sitting on Joseph's shoulders and Mary is on the donkey.

Gospel, 3rd century

It is considered a manuscript of Artsakh-Utik school. It has images of the evangelists and the Lord, many altars, half-altars, and window decorations. Matthew the evangelist sits in a high-backed wooden chair. The entire image is captured in a wide ornate frame. The Mother of God is placed in Matthew's list of names. Since the manuscript does not have a main reference, the pen, place and time of writing remain unknown.

Lazarian Gospel

"Gospel of Lazarus" is a parchment Gospel of the 9th century. It was named so because it belonged to the Lazarian Seminary in Moscow. The manuscript was donated to the Seminary in 1847 by Khachukyan, an Armenian merchant from Teodosia. In 1925, it was moved to Etchmiadzin with the Lazarian collection (215 units), and now it is preserved in the Matenadaran named after Mesrop Mashtots. "The Lazarian Gospel" is the second complete Armenian manuscript that has reached us, the date of which is known: 887. (the first is the "Gospel of Queen Mlke" of 862, which is kept by the Mkhitarians of Venice). According to the record, the pen belongs to the flourishing Sahak Vanandatsi. The illustrated pages at the beginning of the manuscript have fallen, only the first two have been preserved, on which four tabernacles are depicted.

The book of poems donated by Nerses Shnorali

In this showcase of donors and donations, Harutyun Hazaryan, who donated the largest number of manuscripts, from New York, who donated about 400 manuscripts in Armenian and foreign languages to Matenadaran, occupies his place of honor. The book of poems of Nerses Shnoralu donated by Hazaryan (16th century) is presented here.