Treasures of NAASR's Mardigian Library
Special Feature: The Armenian Architecture and Monuments of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the Work of RAA (Research on Armenian Architecture)
In early October, as we were preparing the next installments of Library Treasures, which of course typically focus on the Mardigian Library’s older books and other holdings, the awful events of the past weeks have unfolded, since Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on September 27 down to the apparent end of fighting on November 10. Our efforts that were under way have been set aside until later, as they did not seem to fit the current mood, which is one of great concern for the future of Artsakh and Armenia. We will be returning to regular "Treasures" features soon, including one to mark the 200 anniversary of the births of Khrimian Hayrig and Ghevont Alishan (which occurred earlier this year).

We have been witnessing on news and social media networks Armenians leaving their homes, schools, churches, and land, and in some cases even setting fire to their residences that they had built with their own hands. In some ways, we can conjure up visions of earlier exoduses such as from Ani in the 11th century, Old Julfa in the 16th century, Western Armenia in the 20th century, and Nakhijevan in the 1980s.
 
While it is human lives first and foremost that command our attention, we also fear for the rich Armenian cultural heritage of Artsakh, such as Dadivank (shown above, photo from RAA). Recent history has shown the worst possibilities: complete erasure, as in Nakhichevan where every one of the thousands of Armenian churches, monuments, and khachkars has been destroyed by the Azeri authorities. Most of the world remained silent in the face of this cultural genocide.
 
Due to these circumstances, we will in this feature highlight the work of RAA (Research on Armenian Architecture) in Armenia which provide a wealth of information about the cultural heritage of Artsakh. We owe much to Samvel Karapetian and all who at RAA who contributed to this work in many capacities.
In 1982, Dr. Armen Hakhnazarian (1941-2009; photo on left) officially established RAA in Aachen, Germany. In the early 1990s, Hakhnazarian met Samvel Karapetian (1961-2020) and decided to continue together, with Hakhnazarian concentrating on Western Armenia, Cilicia, and Iran, and Karapetian covering Artsakh and Georgia. The knowledge acquired by these men was boundless and they were generous in sharing what they knew, because they believed "If you want to have a good harvest, you must sow quality seeds."
In the late 1970s and 1980s, Karapetian (photo on right) made many journeys on foot to Artsakh, incurring interrogation and detention for his activities which were strongly opposed by the Soviet Azerbaijani officials who did not want the Armenian historical presence documented. “In that country, they were not scared of a weapon but were scared of a camera,” he recalled. During the war for Artsakh in the early 1990s, when the Armenian regions were liberated, Karapetian left the scientific expeditions to Georgia in 1993 to follow the troops, photographing and documenting everything that the Azeris had not yet destroyed. He did not want to lose any time for fear that the territories would be returned. By 1998, the number of photos taken reached 60,000. He presented the facts of the demolition of Armenian khachkars in Julfa, Nakhichevan, by Azeri troops to the U.S. Congress in 2007 and to the European Court of Human Rights in 2008.
RAA has published maps, calendars, booklets, and albums. Since 2010 it has published the journal Vardzk‘ = Վարձք. The initial issue of Vardzk' (shown at left) was dedicated to Armen Hakhnazarian.
 
In this feature we highlight RAA publications documenting the remarkable cultural monuments of Artsakh, which are not only accessible in the NAASR Library but also freely available online through RAA’s website.
Title: Bun Aghvank‘i Hayeren Vimagrerě = Բուն Աղվանքի Հայերեն Վիմագրերը [The Armenian Lapidary Inscriptions of Bun Aghvank]
Author: Samvel Karapetian
Publication Information: Yerevan: HH GAA Gidutyun Hratarakchutyun, 1997; in Armenian
 
Title: Hay Mshakuyt‘i Hushardzannerě Khorhrdayin Adrbejanin Brnagts‘vats Shrjannerum = Հայ Մշակույթի Հուշարձանները Խորհրդային Ադրբեջանին Բռնակցված Շրջաններում / Armenian Cultural Monuments in The Region of Karabakh
Author: Samvel Karapetian
Publication Information: Yerevan: HH GAA Gidutyun Hratarakchutyun, 1999; in Armenian, English (2001), and Russian
Title: Arts‘akhi ev Syunik‘i Melik‘akan Aparank‘nerě = Արցախի Եվ Սյունիքի Մելիքական Ապարանքները [Princely Palaces in Artsakh And Siunik]
Author: Artak Ghulian
Publication Information: Yerevan: HH GAA Gidutyun Hratarakchutyun, 2001; in Armenian, Russian, and English.
 
Title: Hyusisayin Arts‘akh = Հյուսիսային Արցախ / Northern Artsakh
Author: Samvel Karapetian
Publication Information: Yerevan: HH GAA Gidutyun Hratarakchutyun, 2004; in Armenian and English
Title: Arts‘akhi Kamurjnerě = Արցախի Կամուրջները / The Bridges of Artsakh
Author: Samvel Karapetian
Publication Information: Yerevan: HCHU (RAA) Hratarakchutyun, 2009; in Armenian, English, and Russian.
 
Title: Arts‘akhi Hay Chartarapetut‘yan Mahmedakan Hushardzannerě = Արցախի Հայ Ճարտարապետության Մահմեդական Հուշարձանները / The Islamic Monuments of the Armenian Architecture of Artsakh
Author: Samvel Karapetian
Publication Information: Yerevan: HCHU (RAA) Hratarakchutyun, 2010; in Armenian and English
Title: Arts‘akhi Hrashalik‘nerě =Արցախի Հրաշալիքները / The Wonders of Artsakh
Publication Information: Yerevan: HCHU (RAA) Hratarakchutyun, 2010; in Armenian and English
 
Title: Ughegnats‘akan Aknarkner = Ուղեգնացական Ակնարկներ [Travel Notes]
Author: Archpriest Yeghishe Geghamiants (Haykuny)
Publication Information: Yerevan: HCHU (RAA) Hratarakchutyun, 2010; in Armenian
Archpriest Yeghishe Geghamiants’'s travel notes abound in information relating to the history, lapidary heritage, ethnography, folk-lore as well as the educational and economic state of Artsakh as of the late 1880s. The book also offers statistical data regarding the local population. Original text supplemented with a map of Geghamiants' route and photos of the places he visited.
Title: The State of Armenian Historical Monuments in Azerbaijan and Artsakh
Publication Information: Yerevan: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2011 in English, Russian, and French.
 
Title: Dadi Vank‘i Verakangnumě 1997-2011 t‘t‘. = Դադի Վանքի Վերականգնումը 1997-2011 Թթ. [The Restoration of Dadivank Monastery Between 1997 and 2011]
Author: Samvel Ayvazian
Publication Information: Yerevan: HCHU (RAA) Hratarakchutyun, 2015
Title: Adrbejaně K‘aghak‘akrt‘ut‘iwnits Durs = Ադրբեջանը Քաղաքակրթությունից Դուրս / Azerbaijan Out of Civilization
Author: Samvel Karapetian
Publication Information: Yerevan: HCHU (RAA) Hratarakchutyun, 2017; in Armenian, Russian, and English.
 
Title: Arts‘akh K‘artezagirk‘ = Արցախ Քարտեզագիրք / Artsakh: Atlas
Author: Samvel Karapetian
Publication Information: Yerevan: HCHU (RAA) Hratarakchutyun, 2016; in Armenian, Russian, and English
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