Matenadaran, or the Museum of Manuscripts, is named after Mesrop Mashtots, the creator of the Armenian alphabet. This is not just a museum—it’s one of the most important scientific centers in Armenia, housing over 23,000 manuscripts and 500,000 archived documents.

The manuscripts preserved here date from the 5th century up to the 19th century, covering a wide range of historical, religious, and cultural topics.

The oldest manuscript preserved in the Matenadaran is a 5th-century Gospel, known as the Vehamor Gospel, and one of the most famous is the richly illuminated Mughni Gospel from the 11th century.

Before 1939, Armenian manuscripts were kept in the main cathedral, Holy Echmiadzin. The collection was known as Matenadaran, which literally means “manuscript museum.” When a dedicated building was constructed in Yerevan in 1959, the manuscripts were relocated there, and the name Matenadaran — now understood as “manuscript repository” — was preserved.

The architectural design of the Matenadaran building is believed to have been inspired by the style of Ani, the medieval capital of Armenia. Its interior reflects elements of traditional Armenian architecture, particularly the design of medieval monasteries.

Matenadaran
Matenadaran the smallest book in the world
Mesrop Mashtots Matenadaran
Матенадаран


By the early 20th century, the collection had grown to 4,000 manuscripts. In 1915, during World War I and the Armenian Genocide, Armenians returned to their homeland carrying priceless but damaged cultural treasures — ancient books and manuscripts.

Despite enormous losses, thanks to the efforts of Catholicos Gevorg V Surenyants, 1,600 manuscripts were rescued and brought to Echmiadzin. Later, they were transferred to Yerevan. These included works from historical Armenian regions such as Vaspurakan, Mush, and Erzurum.

The collection at Matenadaran includes works on history, philosophy, law, medicine, grammar, geography, mathematics, astronomy, chronology, and religious mysticism. It also holds examples of Armenian and translated literature, as well as Gospels and Bibles.

The Matenadaran houses both the smallest and the truly gigantic manuscript books, each of which is a unique treasure:
The smallest book is a prayer book measuring just 19 x 14 mm. Despite its miniature size, it is fully legible and handwritten with the finest pen.
The largest book is The Life of Alexander the Great, measuring 55 x 70 cm and weighing 28 kg. This manuscript impresses not only with its monumental size but also with its exquisite design.

In addition to Armenian texts, the collection contains manuscripts written in Greek, Arabic, Persian, Assyrian, Latin, Ethiopian, Georgian, Hebrew, and other languages.