Memorandum of UnderstandingCSMC and Matenadaran Continue Their Partnership

5 November 2025

Photo: Gor Navoyan

View of the Matenadaran

The CSMC and the renowned Armenian institution have been working together on the preservation and study of manuscript heritage since 2021. The partnership has now been officially extended for five years.

Central to this cooperation is the application of multispectral imaging techniques to reveal hidden texts in palimpsest manuscripts and the scientific analysis of inks and other writing materials undertaken by the CSMC’s Artefact Lab. Additionally, researchers plan to engage in radiocarbon dating to establish the age of undated manuscripts within the Matenadaran’s collection. The primary collaborators at the CSMC are the members of the DeLiCaTe project (The Development of Literacy in the Caucasian Territories), whose expertise in the region drives the partnership forward, contributing significantly to the understanding and preservation of the Caucasus’s rich written heritage.

The Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, commonly known as the Matenadaran, is an important repository of ancient manuscripts and a leading centre for the study and preservation of Armenian written heritage. Located in Yerevan, Armenia, the Matenadaran was founded in 1959 and named after Mesrop Mashtots, the creator of the Armenian alphabet. Its vast collection comprises more than 23,000 manuscripts and documents, including works in Armenian, Greek, Syriac, Persian, Arabic, and other languages, covering a wide range of subjects from theology and philosophy to medicine and history. Renowned for its striking architectural presence as well as its scholarly significance, the Matenadaran serves both as a guardian of invaluable artefacts and a vibrant centre of research, attracting scholars and visitors from around the world.