One of the works of master Poghos, a khachkar (cross-stone) of astounding beauty, is kept in Goshavank. Goshavank (Monastery of Gosh) is located in the village of Gosh, in the picturesque mountains of Tavush Province, Armenia. Armenian scholar and priest Mkhitar Gosh was the one who initiated the construction of this fine architectural complex. Among …
Quintus Curtius Rufus, “History of Alexander the Great”. “The route there goes through steppes. Situated between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, they are so abundant that the livestock is driven out from the pasture not to die from the glut of food, as some say. The reason for such fertility is irrigation: the moisture from …
“The troops advanced, and the ground as if flamed up; Dol groaned as if under the rage of the god, the thrower of lightning Zeus when he casts thunderbolts over the head of Typhon onto the lands, The Arimon mounts where the lair of Typhon is told to be; So deeply groaned the land under …
Saghmosavank (Armenian: “Monastery of the psalms”) is located in the village of Saghmosavan in Aragatsotn Province, Armenia. In its vicinity is the river Kasagh, as well as Hovhannavank lying 5 kilometers to the south. In fact, standing on the opposite shore of Kasagh, you will be able to admire the entirety of Saghmosavank’s architectural beauty. …
Ancient Armenia consisted of administrative units called “ashkharhs” (“world” in Armenian), which could be deemed analogous to modern states. Each of the ashkharhs had broad self-management capabilities. Essentially, an ashkharh was an autonomous monarchy with its own ruling dynasty, culture, cuisine, traditions, and dialect of the Armenian language. The significant differences in the traditions and …
The Akori settlement is situated on the northeastern slope of Masis, otherwise known as Greater Ararat. Now, this area is occupied by Iğdır Province of Turkey. An ancient legend recounts that after the Great Flood, Noah planted a willow tree (“uri” or “ureni” in Armenian) on the site of the village. The historic name of …
From time to time, humanity is forced to review their apprehension of the surrounding world. For centuries, it has been considered that the humanity had been barbaric and ignorant for most of its existence. The worldview of antique people has been evaluated as childish and prejudice-driven. And even though our knowledge of the world of …
A 14th-century Turco-Mongol conqueror Tamerlane has achieved outstanding military success, conquering vast territories. However, he was yet to conquer Armenia. And thereby, he decided to invade this country of mountains. Upon arriving at the Garni Gorge, Tamerlane ordered to set up a camp and sent scouts to investigate the surroundings. In the morning, one of …
Isabella I, also known as Isabel I or Zabel I (27 January 1216/25 January 1217 – 23 January 1252), was a Queen of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from the Rubenid dynasty. She has been the second Queen of Cilicia and the only daughter of King Leo I (also Leo II). In May 1219, King …
Maps are crucial in helping us shape history. They contribute to the understanding of the political development of the ancient and modern worlds, as well as reflect international relations on certain stages of the evolution of states and empires. Ruben Galchyan’s catalog “Armenia in world cartography” is a fine collection of antique maps of Armenia. …
In 1222 – 1225, Icelandic historian, poet, and politician Snorri Sturluson wrote his book “Edda” consisting of Scandinavian myths and tales. This book has long been considered a fruit of the author’s mind, having no historical basis. However, in 1643, Icelandic bishop Sveinsson discovered an ancient manuscript with songs about deities and heroes that strongly …
Historian and linguist Nicholas Marr wrote about the genealogy of the legend of the love between Armenian pagan deities Vahagn and Astghik: “However, more ancient pearls of Japhetic poetic heritage reached us, including a story about a man and a woman in love who symbolized various conditions and impersonations of nature. This love story brings …
The second edition of the book “Armenia in world cartography” was published at the initiative of Archbishop Yezras Nersisyan, the head of the Nakhichevan-on-Don diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and thanks to the support of Vartan Vartanov. This undertaking was blessed by Catholicos of all Armenians Garegin II: “From the religious center of the …
“Armenia in world cartography” is a unique collection of geographic maps and their descriptions, spanning from times immemorial to modern days. They represent the geographical features of Armenia, political events, as well as regional relations. Map 1 This map was taken from Ptolemy’s “Geography” published in Strasburg in 1513. It was drawn by Martin Waldseemüller …
In 190 BC, the Roman legions smashed the troops of the Seleucid King Antiochus III in the Battle of Magnesia in Asia Minor, putting the plans of Antiochus to conquer Greece to a halt. This victory marked the beginning of the Roman expansion towards the East. The Greek influence had spread eastward long before the …
A wonderful article published by the Wall Street Journal in 2012 describes some of the Armenian sacred sites. The article was authored by Dennis K. Berman. Haghpat is one of the world’s greatest yet one of the least explored religious shrines. Millions of tourists every year gather to the routine splendor of Rome and Jerusalem. …
The Armenian nation is one of the most ancient civilizations that have survived over centuries until today, though the Armenians haven’t had an independent country for large parts of their history. Due to this, the Armenians gave particular importance to their spoken and written word, which in fact were the means that allowed the Armenian …
Geghard Monastery (Armenian: Գեղարդ, meaning “spear”) is a remarkable architectural site situated in Kotayk Province of Armenia. A significant share of its uniqueness lies in the fact that it has been partially carved out of the adjacent mountain. No surprise that the monastery is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery has been …