Academic Work – Publishing

Library and museum illustrate as academic institutions the importance of the Armenian culture and open up – not only for the German-speaking world – probably the best way to deal with the interesting history of the Armenians.
The Library of the monastery also contains the largest and oldest Armenian collection of magazines. A total of about 70,000 volumes are stored here. The collection is one of the most important ones in the world. It houses 2,600 precious Armenian manuscripts, with the oldest one stemming from the ninth century, approximately 120,000 books in Armenian language and 15,000 foreign-language works on Armenian topics especially on the history, language and development of Armenia. This collection is being considered as one of the most outstanding ones in the world.

The museum holds both the world’s largest collection of Armenian coins (the oldest pieces date from the 4th century BC) as well as rarities from the Armenian folk art, rugs, ceramics, silverware and liturgical works of art. Particularly worth seeing is the splendid collection of works of Armenian artists and entire families of painters: the Naghash (18th century) and the Aywasowsky (19th century).

Publishing and Bookshop – The Mekhitarists prolong thetradition of philological publications with the periodical “Handes Amsorya” as well as with the series “National Library”, which started in 1889 and has now reached a state The monastery’s facade by Joseph Kornhäusel – Blueprint from 1836 Cabinet designed in honor of the Emperor’s Jubilee 1898 and globes in the library “The Feeding of the Five Thousand” in the refectory of 241 volumes. The “Studies on Armenian History” include valuable supplements to Armenian literature.