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LANDMARK MUSEUM BUILDING OPENS IN ARMENIA
Agence France Presse
Sept 20 2011
YEREVAN - A landmark new building opened Tuesday at the Armenian
museum for ancient manuscripts in the capital Yerevan, one of the
largest collections of historically important documents in the world.
"This building is of international importance," said the Matenadaran
museum's director Hrachya Tamrazian at the opening.
"It will become not only a centre for the development of studies of
Armenian cultural heritage, but also an international research centre,"
he said.
The Matenadaran museum is "one of the oldest and richest book
depositories in the world" according to the UN cultural organisation
UNESCO.
Its collection, first established in the fifth century, includes
more than 17,000 Armenian manuscripts dating back to medieval times
alongside more than 3,000 manuscripts in other languages and some
100,000 other ancient documents.
The imposing new grey basalt structure on a hill in central Yerevan
is equipped with a high-tech laboratory to preserve, restore and
digitise manuscripts.
"Matenadaran is not just for storage, it is also a research centre,"
the museum's director of restoration Gayane Eliazian told AFP.
The opening attended by Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian coincided
with celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of Armenia's
independence, which culminate in a showpiece military parade on
Wednesday.
Agence France Presse
Sept 20 2011
YEREVAN - A landmark new building opened Tuesday at the Armenian
museum for ancient manuscripts in the capital Yerevan, one of the
largest collections of historically important documents in the world.
"This building is of international importance," said the Matenadaran
museum's director Hrachya Tamrazian at the opening.
"It will become not only a centre for the development of studies of
Armenian cultural heritage, but also an international research centre,"
he said.
The Matenadaran museum is "one of the oldest and richest book
depositories in the world" according to the UN cultural organisation
UNESCO.
Its collection, first established in the fifth century, includes
more than 17,000 Armenian manuscripts dating back to medieval times
alongside more than 3,000 manuscripts in other languages and some
100,000 other ancient documents.
The imposing new grey basalt structure on a hill in central Yerevan
is equipped with a high-tech laboratory to preserve, restore and
digitise manuscripts.
"Matenadaran is not just for storage, it is also a research centre,"
the museum's director of restoration Gayane Eliazian told AFP.
The opening attended by Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian coincided
with celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of Armenia's
independence, which culminate in a showpiece military parade on
Wednesday.