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YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS: Within the framework of the events dedicated to 20th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Armenia, the solemn opening of the new scientific sub-building of Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts - Matenadaran, took place today. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, NKR President Bako Sahakyan, Catholicos of All-Armenians, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I, ministers, philanthropists of Matenadaran, specialists of Armenology, and others were present.
The opening ceremony took place with the blessing of Catholicos of All-Armenians, after which Serzh Sargsyan walked around in Matenadaran's new building, watched the archive materials and working rooms. The slide-show of the President's grand manuscript dedicated to Matenadaran was presented. And then the video on construction of the new sub-building was shown.
Serzh Sargsyan said that the summary of the reopening works of Matenadaran on the eve of 20th anniversary of Armenia is a valuable work. According to him, Yerevan is rich in beautiful and symbolic buildings, but Matenadaran is inappreciable with its meaning.
"Matenadaran is everything for us –language, literature, history, knowledge, birth certificate and biography. There are other Armenian matenadarans (institutes of ancient manuscripts) in the world, collections of Armenian handwritings in Jerusalem, Venice, Constantinople, Vienna and other Armenian cultural centers. All these are inappreciable treasuries," the President said, adding that Matenadaran is our national wealth
The President noted that we are one of the few nations that can be proud of its writings, which has a history of 1600 years and is the basis of our existence today too.