Description

Mesrop Mashtots Research Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran) in Yerevan preserves a rich collection of manuscripts and archival materials in Armenian and other languages, including Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Georgian. Within this diverse corpus, the Arabic Garshuni manuscripts and fragments form a distinctive group, contributing to our understanding of the contexts in which they were produced, used, and transmitted. The present catalogue provides detailed descriptions of twenty-two Arabic Garshuni manuscripts and two fragments preserved at the repository. Dating from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, the manuscripts cover a wide range of subjects, with a particular emphasis on liturgical and religious texts. Most of them are written in Arabic (Garshuni), with occasional Syriac sections, and three contain Ottoman Turkish Garshuni hymns. Notes in Armenian added by later owners are also present. The collection was assembled through contributions from various individuals and collectors, who are identified and briefly discussed in the catalogue. Colophons and various notes by scribes, readers, and owners are also examined, offering valuable insights into the history of each manuscript. An accompanying album includes selected images of the manuscripts.