The Matenadaran or Mashtots
Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in
Yerevan,
Armenia, is one
of the richest depositories of
manuscripts
and
books
in the world.
The collection dates back to
405,
when
Saint Mesrop
Mashtots
created the
Armenian
alphabet. In
1920
the collection, held at the headquarters of the
Armenian
Apostolic Church
at
Echmiatsin
was confiscated by the
Bolsheviks,
combined with other collections and, in
1939,
moved to
Yerevan.
On
March 3,
1959,
the Matenadaran Institute was formed to maintain and house the
manuscripts, and in
1962
it was named after Saint Mesrop Mashtots.
