Mother Goddess: From Anahit to Mary becomes most visited exhibition in Armenian history

The Mother Goddess: From Anahit to Mary temporary exhibition, which features the British Museum’s Satala Aphrodite, the bronze head and hand of the Goddess Anahit statue, has become by far the most-visited exhibition in the history of the Republic of Armenia.

Over 43,000 people visited the History Museum of Armenia to view the exhibition in nearly 6 months, History Museum of Armenia Director Davit Poghosyan said at an event dedicated to the exhibition which also featured a fashion show by AZAT MARD. 

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Alfred Kocharyan highlighted the importance of revaluing the exhibition and described it as the most important cultural event in Armenia in 2024-2025.

“We’ve had over 45 thousand visitors, which is an unprecedented number for our museum exhibitions,” he said. 

UK Ambassador to Armenia John Gallagher also attended the event. “This exhibition is very popular in Armenia and is a testament to the development of ties between Armenia and Great Britain,” he said.

The exhibition is the result of a long-term collaboration between the History Museum of Armenia and the British Museum. It is organized with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia. The exhibition's main sponsor is the Keron Development Foundation.

Keron Development Foundation CEO Vanane Ararktsyan described the exhibition as historic.

The event also featured an exclusive fashion show of the new collection by AZAT MARD inspired by Goddess Anahit.

AZAT MARD founder Garen Tchobanian said that most of their collections are inspired by Armenian culture. He said AZAT MARD will donate 25% of profits from sales of Anahit-inspired shirts to the reconstruction of the historic-cultural building located at 3 Abovyan Street, Yerevan, a move aimed at revitalizing Armenian culture.

The Mother Goddess. From Anahit to Mary international exhibition will be open at the History Museum of Armenia until April 10.