Armenian Manuscript Art Exhibition at Spain's National Library Features Rare Works

An exhibition titled 'Por los caminos del mapa de la espiritualidad: el arte manuscrito armenio' is on display at the Biblioteca Nacional de España in Madrid. The show presents significant Armenian manuscripts from the Matenadaran Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in Yerevan, Armenia. Many of these works are leaving Armenia for the first time. The exhibition includes eleven unique codices dating from the 8th-9th centuries to the 18th century, alongside three Armenian phylacteries (hmayil), which are protective amulets containing prayers and magical texts. A notable piece is a manuscript called Khndrakatár, believed to possess intercessory or miraculous power. The display also features a palimpsest from the 8th-9th centuries and the only known 18th-century manuscript translated from Spanish into Armenian. The works highlight the tradition of Armenian miniature painting, with examples from regional schools in Cilicia, Vaspurakan, New Julfa, and Crimea. A restored manuscript demonstrates the Matenadaran's conservation efforts. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Yvette Tajarian, director of the Matenadaran Museum. It is organized by the Biblioteca Nacional de España in collaboration with Armenia's Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, the Matenadaran Institute, and the Friends of the BNE Foundation. The event runs from March 26 to June 21, 2026, with free admission and limited capacity.