What Is It

The Matenadaran is one of the world's greatest repositories of ancient manuscripts — over 23,000 manuscripts and 500,000 historical documents. It has been on UNESCO's Memory of the World register since 1997.

The building was constructed in 1959 against the backdrop of Mount Ararat — a masterpiece of Soviet classical architecture, fronted by the iconic statue of Mesrop Mashtots. Standing at the top of Mashtots Avenue, the building and statue are already among Yerevan's most recognisable landmarks.

The main exhibition halls show 5th-century Gospels, miniature paintings, manuscripts showing the invention of the Armenian alphabet, and rotating UNESCO exhibits. Many manuscripts survived wars, fires and long journeys and are now preserved here with detailed stories about how they were saved.

If you are interested in history, language or just want to understand why the Armenian alphabet is such an important part of identity here, Matenadaran is an essential stop in Yerevan. It works equally well as a deep dive with a guided tour or as a shorter visit to walk through the main halls and feel the atmosphere of a house built for books.

Tours

Guided tours available in Armenian, English and Russian. Pre-booking recommended — +374 10-56-25-78 or online.

How to Get There

City centre at 53 Mashtots Avenue. 10 minutes on foot from Yeritasardakan metro station.