Matenadaran

The ancient manuscripts written, created, translated, preserved, and restored by the Armenian people are the heritage not only of Armenia, but of all humanity.

The Matenadaran - the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of ancient manuscripts – is one of the richest repositories of medieval manuscripts and books in the world. The more than 18,300 manuscripts preserved at Matenadaran cover all areas of ancient and medieval Armenian art and science: history, theology, philosophy, grammar, cosmology, law, chronology, medicine, and the arts.

The term “Matenadaran” (literally meaning "repository of manuscripts") was first used by the 5th-century Armenian historian Ghazar Parpetsi, referring to the manuscript library near the Etchmiadzin Church, where both Armenian and Greek manuscripts were stored.

Unsurprisingly, the Matenadaran manuscript collection was included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme in 1997.

Address: Yerevan, 53 Mashtots Avenue

Open days: Tuesday - Saturday

Working hours: 09:30-17:00

We offer a sightseeing tour of Yerevan that includes a visit to the Matenadaran!