As a volunteer, field trips with students are as much of a learning experience for me as for them. My co-teacher, Lucine, decided to organize a field trip for her 6th-grade homeroom class. Our destination was the Matenadaran, also known Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts. She had visited this museum in Yerevan many years ago. And she decided it would be a great educational trip for the students. Lucine, several parents, and I accompanied 22 students on this cloudy rainy day to see some old books! And it was a lot of fun.
The museum provided us with a guide who took us through all of the rooms with manuscripts, big and small, ancient and the old, simple and the jeweled. Guides at the museum speak in 8 languages: Armenian, Russian, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Persian. Since it was Saturday, the museum was filled with many other student groups besides ours. So, if you come to visit, maybe try during the week when the students are in school.
All you wanted to know about the Matenadaran
I had heard of the museum but had to look more information up to understand it better.
History and Background
The Matenadaran came into existence in 1959, born from the state repository of manuscripts. The term “matenadaran” translates to a repository of manuscripts in Armenian. In 1962, it was named after Mesrop Mashtots, the genius behind Armenian writing in the early 5th century.
The Matendadaran houses a treasure trove of ancient manuscripts; 17 thousand of them! Among these, 14.5 thousand are Armenian. The remaining are in Arabic, Assyrian, Persian, Indian, Russian, Georgian, Latin, and Ethiopian. Some of these books have covers with intricate designs, made of gold, silver, and even ivory.
The collection is always expanding, thanks in part to contributions from the Armenian diaspora around the world.
Architectural Features of the Matendadaran
As you walk along the front arches, you’ll see statues of influential figures in Armenian culture. They are Movses Khorenatsi, Mkhitar Gosh, Frik, Toros Roslin, Grigor of Tatevatsi, and Anania Shirakatsi.
At the entrance, stand statues of Mesrop Mashtots and Koryun, the historian from the 5th century and Mesrop Mashtots’ student. Mesrop Mashtots is who invented the Armenian alphabet. Step inside, and you’ll see the mosaic of the Avarayr Battle and the Armenian History fresco around the staircase.
Exploring the Precious Manuscripts
Now, let’s explore the manuscripts. The oldest fragments date back to the 5th-6th centuries. And the oldest illustrations and miniatures can be found in the Gospel of Etchmiadzin, dating back to the 6th century.
The oldest complete manuscript is the Lazarus Gospel from 887. The Charentir of Mush is the largest, measuring 70×55cm (28″x22″) and weighing a hefty 27.5kg (60lbs). On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the Calendar from 1434, a tiny manuscript at 4×3 cm (1.6″x1.2″) and a mere 19 grams (0.7oz).
Our field trip continued
After a very educational tour of the museum, we took the students across Yerevan to the mall for lunch and a movie. All in all, it was a great day out for these rural Armenian children. And I enjoyed spending the day with them.
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