YEREVAN, MARCH 19, ARMENPRESS. On the sidelines of the charity program initiated by Armenia’s Ambassador to Vatican Mikayel Minasyan aimed at providing the Armenian churches with traditional carpets, the carpets for Saint John the Baptist Church (Kanach Zham) and the Holy Savior Cathedral of Artsakh’s Shushi will be ready before July.

Leonid Andreasyan, production and commercial director at the Megerian Carpet, told Armenpress that the carpets must be presented to Ambassador Minasyan in July.

“Three carpets are being woven for each church. In other words, separate carpets are woven for each church involving Armenian traditional ornaments. They are taken from the stone carvings on churches”, Leonid Andreasyan said, adding that active works are being done with handmade carpet designer Naira Mkhitaryan, as well as with churches.

Leonid Andreasyan attached great importance to this initiative stating that it will contribute to the development of carpet weaving culture.

“How right is it when there are no Armenian carpets in the Armenian churches? I think this is incompatible. This initiative is a good chance to present handmade carpets in the Armenian churches and present the Armenian ornaments to the world. This will help to once again highlight the importance of carpet weaving culture”, he said, adding that this initiative is also important in terms of tourism.

The initiative launched in October 2017 during the donation ceremony of Gandzasar carpets at the Gandzasar Monastery in Artsakh. The ceremony was attended by President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan, Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vatican Mikayel Minasyan, Primate of the Artsakh Diocese Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, as well as a number of other officials.

The idea was born several years ago when Mikayel Minasyan, during his visit to Gandzasar with his friend, found out that the carpets in the monastery are not so Armenian. And an idea came to restore the rich traditions of Armenian carpet weaving and donate them to the churches. The initiative launched in the Gandzasar monastery.

English –translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan