Matenadaran facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Matenadaran

An aerial view of the Matenadaran showing its main/old (center) and new (upper right) buildings
Established	March 3, 1959; 66 years ago (March 3, 1959)
Location	53 Mashtots Avenue, Kentron District, Yerevan, Armenia
Type	Art museum, archive, research institute
Collection size	~23,000 manuscripts and scrolls (including fragments)
Visitors	132,600 (2019)
Architect	Mark Grigorian, Arthur Meschian
Owner	Government of Armenia, Ministry of Education and Science

The Matenadaran (Armenian: Մատենադարան), officially called the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, is a special place in Yerevan, Armenia. It is a museum, a huge library for old books, and a research center. It holds the world's largest collection of Armenian handwritten books.

This important place was started in 1959. It was built around a collection of old books that once belonged to the Armenian Church. These books were kept at Etchmiadzin. Over time, the Matenadaran's collection has grown a lot, mostly from people donating their own old manuscripts. It is one of Yerevan's most famous buildings. It is named after Mesrop Mashtots, who created the Armenian alphabet. A statue of him stands in front of the building. The Matenadaran's collection is so important that it is listed in UNESCO's Memory of the World program.

What Does Matenadaran Mean?

The word matenadaran is made of two old words. Matean means "book" or "parchment," and daran means "repository" or "storage place." Both words come from an old Persian language.

Sometimes, people translate matenadaran as "scriptorium." However, a better meaning is "a place where manuscripts are kept" or "a library of handwritten books." In old Armenia, all books were written by hand. So, the word matenadaran was used for any library.

Other places around the world also have collections of Armenian manuscripts. Some are still called matenadaran. For example, there is one at the Mekhitarist monastery in Venice. To tell it apart, people often call this one the Matenadaran of Yerevan or the Mashtots Matenadaran.

A Look at Matenadaran's History

Early Collections of Manuscripts

The first mention of a place for keeping manuscripts in Armenia was in the 400s. A historian wrote about a collection at the Etchmiadzin church. This collection had both Greek and Armenian texts. We don't know much about this early collection until the 1400s.

In medieval Armenia, many large monasteries had their own manuscript collections. Some even had special buildings just for these books. Sometimes, manuscripts were hidden in caves to protect them from invaders. Sadly, thousands of manuscripts were destroyed between the 900s and 1400s. This happened during invasions by different groups. One historian wrote that over 10,000 Armenian manuscripts were burned in 1170.

How the Collection Grew

Most of the manuscripts that later became the core of the Matenadaran collection were kept here. This building is at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Mashtots Avenue during the 2018 protests. The Matenadaran is in the center.

Armenia was often a battleground between powerful empires. Because of this, the Matenadaran in Etchmiadzin was attacked many times. The last attack happened in 1804. When Eastern Armenia became part of the Russian Empire in the early 1800s, things became more stable. This helped protect the remaining manuscripts.

In 1828, the collection had 1,809 manuscripts. By 1892, it had grown to 3,338. Before World War I, in 1914, there were 4,660 manuscripts. For safety during the war, the collection was sent to Moscow. Sadly, thousands of Armenian manuscripts were destroyed during the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire.

The Modern Matenadaran is Born

In 1920, the new government of Armenia decided to take control of all cultural places. The manuscript collection at Etchmiadzin became "property of the working peoples of Armenia." In 1922, the manuscripts that were sent to Moscow during World War I were returned. This added 1,730 more manuscripts to the collection.

In 1939, the entire collection was moved to the State Public Library in Yerevan. By then, there were 9,382 manuscripts. On March 3, 1959, the Matenadaran officially became a special "institute of scientific research." It was given its own building. In 1962, it was named after Mesrop Mashtots.

A branch of the Matenadaran was opened in 2015. It is located next to the Gandzasar monastery in the Republic of Artsakh.

The Matenadaran Buildings

The main/old building of the Matenadaran

The statues of Mesrop Mashtots and his student Koryun.

The Main Building

The Matenadaran stands about 18 meters (59 feet) above street level. It is located on a hill at the end of Mashtots Avenue in central Yerevan. The building was constructed from gray basalt stone between 1945 and 1958. Its design was inspired by old Armenian churches and palaces.

The architect, Mark Grigorian, made the building look grand and strong. Many people have said it looks like a temple or a palace. One writer called it "a modern temple to Armenian civilization." It is considered one of the most important buildings in Yerevan. The main building was last renovated in 2012.

Statues and Outdoor Displays

A statue of Mesrop Mashtots and his student Koryun was placed in front of the building in 1962. From 1963 to 1967, statues of six other important Armenian scholars were added. These statues represent different fields like history, philosophy, and poetry.

Toros Roslin
Grigor Tatevatsi
Anania Shirakatsi
Movses Khorenatsi
Mkhitar Gosh
Frik

Since the 1970s, there has been an outdoor exhibition. It is located on both sides of the entrance. Here you can see old stone crosses called khachkars. There is also a very old stone dragon called a vishap and a door from an ancient city.

Inside the Matenadaran

The entrance hall with a mural showing the Battle of Avarayr.

The building has a total area of 28,000 square meters (300,000 sq ft). The entrance hall was inspired by old Armenian monastery designs. Three large paintings show different times in Armenian history. Another painting shows a famous battle from 451 AD.

The New Building

The new building of the Matenadaran.

A new building for the Matenadaran was designed by Arthur Meschian. He is also a famous musician. This new building was needed because the collection of manuscripts kept growing. It is a five-story building and is three times larger than the old one.

One special part of the new building is its modern laboratory. Here, experts work to preserve, fix, and digitize the old manuscripts. The new building was designed to fit well with the old one. Construction started in 2009 and finished in 2011. It was opened with a big ceremony in September 2011.

The Matenadaran Museum

The Matenadaran has become one of Yerevan's most important sights. Many tourists visit it every year. It is often called Armenia's most important museum. In 2019, about 132,600 people visited.

Many important people from around the world have visited the Matenadaran. These include leaders like Vladimir Putin and Prince Charles.

The Matenadaran Collection

The Matenadaran currently holds about 23,000 manuscripts and scrolls. This includes many fragments, which are parts of old books. It is the biggest collection of Armenian manuscripts in the world. There are also over 500,000 other documents. These include old government papers and historical records.

The manuscripts cover many different topics. There are religious books like Gospels and Bibles. There are also texts about history, math, geography, and science. You can find books on philosophy, law, medicine, and music. Many writings by famous Armenian historians and thinkers are kept here.

The main part of the collection came from the Etchmiadzin church. Other manuscripts came from different libraries and societies. These were located in Moscow and Tbilisi.

Definitions of Philosophy by David the Invincible (13th century).

When the Matenadaran became its own institution in 1959, it had about 10,000 Armenian manuscripts. It also had 4,000 fragments. Some of these date back to the 400s. At that time, there were also about 1,000 manuscripts in other languages. These included Persian, Syriac, Arabic, Greek, and more. Some original texts in other languages only exist today as Armenian translations.

The number of manuscripts at the Matenadaran keeps growing. Many are gifts from Armenians living in other countries. For example, one person from New York donated 397 manuscripts. Another person from Damascus donated 150.

Special Manuscripts to See

A carved ivory cover from the Echmiadzin Gospel. It shows the Virgin Mary and Child. This cover is from the 6th century.

Some of the most famous manuscripts at the Matenadaran are:

The Lazarian Gospel [hy] (from the 800s). This is one of the oldest complete Armenian books.
The Echmiadzin Gospel (from the 900s). It has a beautiful carved ivory cover from the 500s.
The Mughni Gospel (from the 1000s).

There are also amazing illuminated manuscripts. These are books with colorful pictures. They were made by famous artists like Toros Roslin in the 1200s.

Three special manuscripts are allowed to leave the Matenadaran regularly. One is the Vehamor Gospel [hy]. It was given to the Matenadaran in 1975. This book might be from the 600s, making it the oldest complete Armenian manuscript. Since 1991, every Armenian president has taken their oath on this book. The other two Gospels are taken to churches every year for people to honor.

Other Interesting Items

Besides manuscripts, the Matenadaran has other unique items. It has a copy of the Urbatagirk, which was the first Armenian book ever printed (in 1512). It also has all the issues of the first Armenian magazine, Azdarar. This magazine was published in India from 1794 to 1796. The first map printed in Armenian, from 1695, is also kept here.

Why the Matenadaran is Important

On a 1978 Soviet stamp.

The Matenadaran's collection was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in 1997. This means it is recognized as a very important part of human history. In 2011, the Armenian President called the Matenadaran a "national treasure." He said it is the greatest symbol of Armenian identity.

During the Soviet era, the Matenadaran showed how rich Armenian culture was. It reminded Armenians of their high level of learning from long ago. Many people see it as a modern monastery. It is a place where manuscripts are treated with great care and respect. An American group visiting in 1971 noted the "loving care" given to the Matenadaran's "tremendous wealth."

The Matenadaran has been featured on stamps and coins. In 1978, it appeared on a Soviet stamp. In 1990, it was on a 5 ruble coin. After Armenia became independent, it was on a 1,000 dram banknote. It has also appeared on other commemorative coins and stamps.

People Who Worked at Matenadaran

Directors

Gevorg Abov (1940–1952)
Levon Khachikian (1954–1982)
Sen Arevshatyan (1982–2007)
Hrachya Tamrazyan (2007–2016)
Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan (2018–2023)
Arayik Khzmalyan (2023–)

Armenia's first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, was a senior researcher at the Matenadaran.

Famous Researchers

Gevorg Emin: A well-known poet.
Rafael Ishkhanyan: A linguist and political activist.
Nouneh Sarkissian: The First Lady of Armenia from 2018 to 2022.
Levon Ter-Petrosyan: The first president of Armenia (1991–1998). He worked at the Matenadaran from 1978 to 1991.
Asatur Mnatsakanian: A philologist and historian who worked there for over 40 years.