Kristine Kostikyan

Kristine Kostikyan studied at the Department of Iranian Studies at Yerevan State University, before continuing at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. She defended her doctoral thesis in 1999 and her Doctor of Science thesis in 2017. Her research is based entirely on unpublished Persian sources relating to the history of Armenia (documents and manuscripts from the Matenadaran), with the aim of shedding light on new aspects of the relations between the Iranian powers and the Armenians.

The project

Title: Production, Dissemination and Heritage of Cultural Goods

"The research project focuses on the history of Armenians under Iranian rule. Persian documents issued by the Iranian authorities to Armenian religious and civil leaders were designed to safeguard their rights and property. These sources are essential for understanding the socio-economic, religious, and diplomatic situation of Armenians in Safavid Iran and beyond. The project emphasises the major role played by Armenians in international trade—particularly in silk, cotton, and precious stones—between Iran, India, the Ottoman Empire, and Europe. Certain documents attest to the Armenian presence in European cities such as Venice, Marseille, Paris, and Amsterdam, as well as to their influence in diplomacy, exemplified by Marcara Avanchintz, who was employed by the court of Louis XIV. One of the project’s objectives is to enrich the data available at the Matenadaran by consulting the archival and manuscript collections of the BnF and other French institutions. It also seeks to retrace the activities of Armenians of Iranian origin living in France and their role in Franco-Iranian relations. Scientific collaboration with French researchers, particularly from CeRMI and INALCO, lies at the heart of the project. The exchange of expertise on Persian and Armenian manuscripts—their translation, digitisation, and publication—will contribute to the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage, especially in Artsakh."

Hosting institution: Centre de Recherche Europes-Eurasie, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO)

Selective Bibliography

• Mirza Yusuf Nersesov, A Truthful History, Translation, introduction and commentaries by K. Kostikian Yerevan 2000 (in Armenian and English).
• K. Kostikyan, Persian Decrees of the Matenadaran, v. III, Yerevan, 2005 (in Armenian, English and Persian).
• K. Kostikyan, Persian Decrees of the Matenadaran, v. IV, Yerevan, 2008 (in Armenian, English and Persian)
• K. Kostikyan, Persian Decrees of the Matenadaran, v. V, Yerevan, 2021 (in Armenian, English and Persian)
• K. Kostikyan, Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the Matenadaran, Yerevan, 2017 (in English)
• K. Kostikyan, Movses Khecho, Persian Documents of the Matenadaran, III, Shari’a Notarial documents (XVII –XVIII cc.), Yerevan, 2018 (in Armenian and Persian).