Biblical mountain Ararat: following the footsteps of Noah

Religious tour in Armenia: Matenadaran named after Mesrop Mashtots and the Church of St. Zoravor.

1. Matenadaran

Matenadaran named after Mesrop Mashtots is one of the richest centers for storing ancient manuscripts and documents. The center has one of the largest collections of manuscripts and medieval books in the world. More than 23,000 manuscripts and 300,000 archive documents are stored here. This is the largest repository of manuscripts in Armenian. It was established in 1921 on the basis of the 5th-century Etchmiadzin book depository and was the first scientific research institute in Armenia.

The oldest fragments of manuscripts that are stored in the Matenadaran date back to the V-VI centuries, and the oldest illustrations and miniatures are in the Etchmiadzin Gospel and date back to the VI century. The oldest manuscript, which is fully preserved, is the Lazarevsky Gospel, dating back to 887, the largest is "Homilies of Mush” (1200-1202, 70.5 × 55 cm, 27.5 kg), and the smallest is the church calendar of XV century (1434, 4 × 3 cm, 19 g.).

Matenadaran is registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List. At present, it is considered one of the most important places for the storage and development of national memory.

2. Church of St. Zhoravor

The Church of St. Zoravor is one of the oldest churches in Yerevan. Originally it was named after the Mother of God, later it was renamed St. Zhoravor.

The remains of St. Anania are resting in the base of the church. According to tradition, the relics of the apostle were brought here in the 4th century by Grigory the Illuminator, and the seventeenth-century chronologist Arakel Davrizhetsi writes that the relics have been preserved here since ancient times.

The chapel of St. Anania is very popular both in Armenia and abroad. Various observances of Orthodox and Catholic churches in Russia and Finland regularly visit the chapel of St. Ananias, considering it an important pilgrimage site.