Information about Armenia, neighboring and far away countries, their population, economy and political life.
If the first Armenian historians give rich information about the history of the neighbouring countries, the later Armenian authors wrote extant works about near and far - away countries, their populations, political and social lives. A number of works of the medieval Armenian geographers are preserved at the Matenadaran. The oldest of these works is the Geography of the famous 7th century scholar Anania Shirakatsi, where a number of geographical sources of the ancient world are used. There is general information about the earth, its surface, climatic belts, seas and so on.
The three continents known then - Europe, Asia and Africa are introduced, paying the main attention to the description of Armenia, Georgia, Albania, Iran, Messopotamia, etc. There are valuable geographical informations in another work of Shirakatsi, Itinerary. Seven manuscripts, preserved at the Matenadaran, contain the original of A List of Cities of India and Persia, compiled in the 12th century. The author, having been to India, mentions the main roads and the distances between towns, gives an information about the social life of the country, the trade relations, the life and the customs of the Indian people and so on. The manuscripts contain information about the Arctics as well. The 13th century author Hovhannes Yerzenkatsi describes the farthest 'uninhabited and coldest' part of the earth, where 'in autumn and in spring the day lasts for six months', the reason of which, according to Yerzenkatsi, is the passage of the sun from one hemisphere to the other. Many manuscripts contain The Geography of the 13th century geographer Vardan. It contains many facts about various countries and peoples.
The Armenian travellers write about many near and far away countries - India, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, several European countries, etc. Martiros Yerzenkatsi (15th-16th centuries) describes his journey to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Flanders, France, Spain. Having reached the coast of the Atlantic ocean, he gives information about the European towns, the number of their population, several architectural monuments, customs, traditions, etc. The 15th century author Hovhannes Akhtamartsi has travelled through Ethiopia and put down his impressions. Karapet Baghishetsi (1550) created Geography in poems. Eremiah Chelepi Keomurchian (1637 - 1695) wrote The History of Istanbul, Hovhannes Toutoungi (1703) wrote The History of Ethiopia, Shahmurad Baghishetsi (17th-18th centuries) wrote The Description of the Town of Versailles, Khachatur Tokhatetsi wrote a poem in 280 lines about Venice. In his text - book of trade Kostandin Dzhughayetsi describes the goods that were on sale in the Indian, Persian, Turkish towns, their prices, the currency systems of different countries, the units of measure, etc.
Read more on HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY - Article by Babken HAROUTUNIAN
The three continents known then - Europe, Asia and Africa are introduced, paying the main attention to the description of Armenia, Georgia, Albania, Iran, Messopotamia, etc. There are valuable geographical informations in another work of Shirakatsi, Itinerary. Seven manuscripts, preserved at the Matenadaran, contain the original of A List of Cities of India and Persia, compiled in the 12th century. The author, having been to India, mentions the main roads and the distances between towns, gives an information about the social life of the country, the trade relations, the life and the customs of the Indian people and so on. The manuscripts contain information about the Arctics as well. The 13th century author Hovhannes Yerzenkatsi describes the farthest 'uninhabited and coldest' part of the earth, where 'in autumn and in spring the day lasts for six months', the reason of which, according to Yerzenkatsi, is the passage of the sun from one hemisphere to the other. Many manuscripts contain The Geography of the 13th century geographer Vardan. It contains many facts about various countries and peoples.
The Armenian travellers write about many near and far away countries - India, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, several European countries, etc. Martiros Yerzenkatsi (15th-16th centuries) describes his journey to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Flanders, France, Spain. Having reached the coast of the Atlantic ocean, he gives information about the European towns, the number of their population, several architectural monuments, customs, traditions, etc. The 15th century author Hovhannes Akhtamartsi has travelled through Ethiopia and put down his impressions. Karapet Baghishetsi (1550) created Geography in poems. Eremiah Chelepi Keomurchian (1637 - 1695) wrote The History of Istanbul, Hovhannes Toutoungi (1703) wrote The History of Ethiopia, Shahmurad Baghishetsi (17th-18th centuries) wrote The Description of the Town of Versailles, Khachatur Tokhatetsi wrote a poem in 280 lines about Venice. In his text - book of trade Kostandin Dzhughayetsi describes the goods that were on sale in the Indian, Persian, Turkish towns, their prices, the currency systems of different countries, the units of measure, etc.
Read more on HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY - Article by Babken HAROUTUNIAN
