HISTORY

* From the earliest times, Armenia has been one of the most important centres of metalworking in Asia Minor and the Transcaucasus. Four thousand years ago historic Armenia was a metalworking centre excelling in gold, silver, copper and iron. The metal objects obtained from the excavations at Lchashen, Armavir, Metzamor, Karmir Blur, Sisian, Dvin and Ani are witnesses of a high standard of metalworking. Vaspurakan, and specially Van - Cilicia, Sebastia (Sepastia), Caeseria, Kareen, Shirak, Sunik, Artsakh, and the Plain of Ararat were centres for the artistic treatment of metal and the production of ornaments and utensils.

* Carpet art is the most loved and widespread phenomenon with stable fraditions in Armenian life from ancient times. Carpets have been woven as far back as before Christ's birth. The historian Herodotus (485 - 425 B. C.) informs us that "the inhabitants of the Caucasus dyed the wool with a number of plants having dyeing qualities and they used it to make woven fabrics covered with drawings which never lose their brilliant color... ". Dvin, Ani, Kareen, Kesaria, Sebastia (Sepastia), towns and settlemants in Vaspourakan, Tapon, Goghtan, Syunik and other provinaea were outsfanding centres of the Armenian carpet. Marco Polo, the Italian traveller (XIII c.) commented: "The Armenians and Greeks in the three major towns of Konya (lkonio), Kaiseri (Kesaria) and Sivas (Sebastia (Sepastia)) made the most beautiful and finest rugs". The Armenians of those three towns had been deported in the first half of the XI century from Vaspurakan, Ani, Kars. Kareen, Dvin, Ani, Kesaria, Sebastia (Sepastia), towns and settlemants in Vaspourakan, Tapon, Goghtan, Syunik and other provinaea were outstanding centres of the Armenian carpet.