MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
Online collection of the Printing Museum of Armenia
In
2012 Yerevan was declared World Book Capital by UNESCO on the occasion of the
celebration of the 500th anniversary of the printing of the first book in
Armenian. During these events, it was agreed to establish the Museum of
Printing in the Armenian National Library which possesses the largest
collection of Armenian printing.
On
September 25, 2017, the Museum of Printing, a unique museum of its kind in the
region, opened at the National Library of Armenia. The museum is equipped with
new technologies, which creates an interactive environment for non-formal
education.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The history of printing is reflected in the six halls of the Museum of Printing. The “Origins of Writing” hall presents samples of written culture created in the period from the pre-literary period to the writing era: petroglyphs, cuneiform inscriptions.
The
“Armenian Alphabet” hall presents the types of writing and the Armenian
alphabet carved in woodcuts in books by European publishers. The “Firstfruits
of Armenian Printing” hall presents the first printed book in Armenian,
“Urbatagirk” (“The Friday Book”, Venice, 1512), the Voskanyan Bible (Amsterdam,
1666-68), the first printed map, “Hamatarats Ashkharhatsoyts” (“General
Geographical Atlas”, Amsterdam, 1695), the first printed periodical, “Azdarar”
(Madras, 1794-96). The “Armenian Printing Diaspora” hall presents the main
centers where Armenian printing houses operated and Armenian books were
printed. In the hall, you can get acquainted with a brief history of printing
houses. The “Printing” hall displays printing machines, clichés, and pictures
of Armenian printing houses operating in different countries. The main forms of
printing are presented through a holographic display. The “Eternity of Writing”
hall presents the origins of printing in the territory of present-day Armenia.
The
Printing Museum of the National Library of Armenia is a member of the
Association of European Printing Museums.
HOURS AND ADMISSION
Tuesday
- Sunday 10:00 - 16:00
ADMISSION
Adults – 700 AMD
Schoolchildren, students – 400 AMD
