SOLEMN OPENING OF MATENADARAN’S NEW SCIENTIFIC SUB-BUILDING TAKES PLACE

ARMENPRESS
17:57, 20 September, 2011

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS: Within the framework of the events
dedicated to 20th anniversary of independence of the Republic of
Armenia, the solemn opening of the new scientific sub-building of
Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts – Matenadaran,
took place today. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, NKR President
Bako Sahakyan, Catholicos of All-Armenians, Catholicos of the Great
House of Cilicia Aram I, ministers, philanthropists of Matenadaran,
specialists of Armenology, and others were present.

The opening ceremony took place with the blessing of Catholicos
of All-Armenians, after which Serzh Sargsyan walked around in
Matenadaran’s new building, watched the archive materials and working
rooms. The slide-show of the President’s grand manuscript dedicated
to Matenadaran was presented. And then the video on construction of
the new sub-building was shown.

Serzh Sargsyan said that the summary of the reopening works of
Matenadaran on the eve of 20th anniversary of Armenia is a valuable
work. According to him, Yerevan is rich in beautiful and symbolic
buildings, but Matenadaran is inappreciable with its meaning.

“Matenadaran is everything for us -language, literature, history,
knowledge, birth certificate and biography. There are other
Armenian matenadarans (institutes of ancient manuscripts) in the
world, collections of Armenian handwritings in Jerusalem, Venice,
Constantinople, Vienna and other Armenian cultural centers. All
these are inappreciable treasuries,” the President said, adding that
Matenadaran is our national wealth

The President noted that we are one of the few nations that can be
proud of its writings, which has a history of 1600 years and is the
basis of our existence today too.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress