Written by Aram Ghoogasian (2024)

INtroduction

The Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, more commonly known as the Matenadaran, is a museum and research institute boasting a collection of about 20,000 (mostly) Armenian manuscripts. The core of the original collection was previously owned by the Armenian Church and housed at Ejmiatsin before it was eventually nationalized in the Soviet period and moved to Yerevan. The manuscripts arrived at their final destination when the Matenadaran was founded in 1959. The Matenadaran also holds rare printed books and hundreds of thousands of archival documents, including, most prominently, those related to the Catholicosate at Ejmiatsin. Students and scholars spend most of their time in the new research building, which opened its doors in 2011.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5:50pm. The reading hall is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 9pm.

Location: Google Maps

GOING THERE

The Matenadaran is a roughly 15 min. walk from Yeritasardakan metro station. It sits on a slope at the northern end of Mashtots Avenue, so you’ll need to walk uphill to reach it. Though it’s a bit of a steep climb, it is wheelchair accessible. It’s a slightly longer walk to get to the reading hall in the new building, which you can reach by walking past the museum through a gate on the right. (You can avoid all this by calling a taxi with the Yandex app.) Take the elevator up to the fourth floor.

GETTING IN

To access the reading hall, you’ll need to present your passport and a passport-size photo to get a reader pass. You’ll be asked to fill out a short form before returning the next day to start working.

Finding your material

The ten-volume manuscript catalog is available online(only in Armenian). If you’re more interested in the archival holdings, you’ll have to peruse the catalogs that are shelved in a cabinet in the reading hall. Ask the staff for an index to make your job easier.

Ordering your material

Once you figure out what you want to order, ask the staff for a form (there are separate ones for manuscripts and archival documents). When your order is fulfilled, you can view a digital copy on one of the desktop computers in the reading hall. There used to be a website where you could view the status of your order, but your best bet now is to call and ask if it’s ready, otherwise you’ll need to make the trip back to check on a screen in person and risk being disappointed.

Ordering scans

You can have manuscripts and archival documents digitized and sent to you remotely (place your order on this website), but a high-quality scan will set you back a whopping 9,000 AMD (more than 23 USD) per page. If quality is less important, miniatures can be purchased for a more modest but still pricey 2,250 AMD (roughly 6 USD) per page. If all you’re interested in is text, you’ll pay 350 AMD (less than 1 USD) per page. 

Food and well-being

If you’re willing to walk down the hill and back up again, you have plenty of markets and restaurants to choose from if you need a break. Bathrooms and water fountains are located just outside the reading hall.

ADDITIONAL REMARKS

If you visit in the summer, the reading hall can get a bit warm. The AC can only do so much in such a large room. Even if you’re only there to visit the research center, visit the museum – a great amount of various Armenian, Arabic, Greek, and Hebrew manuscripts and early prints are exhibited.