Traditionally, the Star of David (Hebrew: מָגֵן דָּוִד, “Shield of David”; pronounced mogendovid in Yiddish) is an ancient symbol, an emblem in the form of a six-pointed star (hexagram), in which two equilateral triangles are superimposed on each other: the top one – apex up, the bottom one – apex down, forming a structure of …
The six-pointed star is an ancient international symbol Read More »
According to the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi, the Median Empire was defeated by the Armenian King Tigran in alliance and with the assistance of Cyrus II. The historical grain of this message unfolds when compared with the account of Xenophon, a Greek historian of the 5th to the early half of the 4th century BC, …
Tigran I Yervandid and Cyrus II Achaemenid – Defeat of the Median Kingdom Read More »
David the Invincible, also known as David Anhaght, was an Armenian scholar and mathematician active in the 5th and 6th centuries. Remarkably, he holds the distinction of creating the very first textbook of arithmetic problems known to the world. To this day, an original copy of this pioneering work is preserved at the Matenadaran, a …
David Anhaght, author of the world’s first textbook on arithmetic problems Read More »
The games in Olympia, which emerged in times immemorial (the first documented celebration dates back to 776 BC), were a vibrant pagan festival, associated in the minds of the Hellenes with the sacred marriage of the Moon and the Sun. They were held every four years. There were competitions in running, wrestling, boxing, discus and …
One of the medieval philosophers once noted that a person grows attached to the earth when his ancestors rest in it. Armenians are bound to their land by such powerful centuries-old chains that this bond can be destroyed only by annihilating its bearers. Reiterating over and over the well-known thesis about the need to know …
Sasun, along with Taron, Ayots Dzor, and Maseatsotn, can rightly be called the heart of Armenia. This province embodies not only our centuries-old history – Sasun is the birthplace of the world-famous Armenian epic “Sasna Tsrer” (“Sasun Madmen”, an alternative name – “Sasuntsi David”) – this quintessence of the ancient pre-Christian Armenian tradition and the …
Beginning another cycle of conversations about Armenia, about travelling around the homeland, I pondered for a long time on how exactly to organize this journey. Geographically, it would be justified to plan it in some sequence, for example, from west to east, or alphabetically – from Ararat to Utik, and so on. However, from a …
Northwest of Lake Van, between Taron and the middle course of the Aratsani River, lies Gavar Harq – the cradle of Armenia during the Haikian period. The territory of the Gavar extends from Lake Nazik and Khach or Khachlva in the east to the steep bend of the Aratsani River in the west, where it …
Gavar Harq – Ancient Armenia during the Haikian period Read More »
Armenia was surrounded by armed Romans. The invaders looted a great wealth accumulated in Armenian cities and shrines. The renowned Roman historian Pliny the Elder provides a detailed account of the pillage of the famous temple of the goddess Anahit in the settlement of Eriza, describing how avaricious Roman soldiers dismantled the golden statue of …
The Kingdom of Van, also known as Urartu, was a powerful civilization that existed in the 9th century BC. One of the most impressive achievements of this kingdom was the construction of a grand irrigation canal, known today as the Menua Canal, after the king of the Kingdom of Van who ordered its construction. The …