Conference Presentations by Jirair Christianian
Proceedings of the History Museum of Armenia, 2023
This article describes in detail a collection of 48 medieval and post-medieval coins, including 4... more This article describes in detail a collection of 48 medieval and post-medieval coins, including 40 Armenian coins, acquired by Robert W. Edwards (referred to in this article as the “RWE Coin Collection”) from their find localities at fourteen sites in Cilicia between 1973 and 1981. These coins are being published here for the first time. A number of conclusions are drawn from the study of these coins in relation to their specific find sites, and the places these sites occupied within the Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia at the purported time the coins were struck. A few European and Islamic coins are included in this study also for their relevant data.
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Photography, observations and preliminary results of site study of the medieval Armenian 2-story ... more Photography, observations and preliminary results of site study of the medieval Armenian 2-story church in the hamlet of Kibrislar, Adana Province, Cilicia. Presented October 11, 2017, during Journée d’Études sur l’art et l’archéologie de l’Arménie et de la Géorgie médiévales (AMU - LA3M), MMSH, Aix-en-Provence, in conjunction with presentations by Samvel Grigoryan and Patrick Donabédian.
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https://chArLvArchive.org, 2019
A new website dedicated to the churches, monasteries, fortifications and other architecture of th... more A new website dedicated to the churches, monasteries, fortifications and other architecture of the Armenian, Greek, Georgian, Syriac, and Crusader people of the Near East (modern Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus) is now online: The Christian Architecture of the Levant, accessible at https://ChArLvArchive.org. Volume One of the Website is comprised of the archive of Robert W. Edwards, over 3300 images and plans. Interested parties can contribute images on a non-exclusive basis, and are invited to contact the editor from the Contact links at: https://charlvarchive.org/Home/Contact.
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Papers by Jirair Christianian
Armenian Numismatic Society Journal, 2012
Many coins of the kings of Cilician Armenia can be attributed with certainty to the issuing ruler... more Many coins of the kings of Cilician Armenia can be attributed with certainty to the issuing ruler, but some of the coins where the king’s name is shared by more than one ruler are surrounded by ambiguity, since neither the specific ruler nor the year of issue is identified on Medieval Armenian coins. Such is the case of coins displaying the names Levon (with five rulers sharing the name), Hetoum (with two rulers of that name), and Gosdantin (with three rulers of that name). Multiple studies have attempted to organize these coins on the bases of hoard evidence, metrology, and silver content. Others leave some concern as to ultimate correctness, awaiting further discoveries and study. The fate of a particular copper coin, naming “King Hetoum”, falls in this category. The discovery of a new specimen, with a legible and clearly attributable Seljuq overstrike in Arabic, makes its earlier attribution impossible. While the undertype of this coin was previously known, it was attributed to Hetoum II (1289-93, 1295-96, and 1301-05 AD). This article corrects the attribution of these coins to Hetoum I (1226-70 AD), the longest-ruling king of Cilician Armenia, who strengthened the borders of his kingdom with numerous new fortresses, supported the construction of churches and monasteries, and generally expanded and enriched the economy of his kingdom during his rule.
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History Museum of Armenia Works, 2021
The issue of the authenticity of gold coins in the name of Levon has been thoroughly examined, re... more The issue of the authenticity of gold coins in the name of Levon has been thoroughly examined, resulting in the conclusion that they are all counterfeit. The excitement generated by two gold coins, however, does not subside among collectors and researchers interested in Cilician Armenian coins. Some of them consider those coins genuine, contributing to the prevailing view. But this paper concludes with reasonable doubts about their authenticity.
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History Museum of Armenia Works, 2021
A number of "gold coins" are known, presumably of kings of Cilician Armenia. This article formul... more A number of "gold coins" are known, presumably of kings of Cilician Armenia. This article formulates arguments refuting the authenticity of some of these naming "Levon" as the king (in Armenian).
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Revue des Etudes Arméniennes, 2021
This brief complement corrects the first footnote of the article (p. 379), the correction/additio... more This brief complement corrects the first footnote of the article (p. 379), the correction/addition being in italics.
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Revue des Etudes Arméniennes, 2020
In 2015, in the course of extensive Internet searches, I discovered photographs posted online tha... more In 2015, in the course of extensive Internet searches, I discovered photographs posted online that showed remnants of large crosses on the façade of a building identified as a church converted to mosque, in the hamlet of Kıbrıslar, in Adana Province. Site visits in May-June 2017 led to the conclusion that this 2-story construction, about 38 km N of Sis/Kozan, is the long-lost Armenian medieval monastic compound of Drazark, resting place of Armenian kings, queens, princes, catholicoi and other high clergy, who were buried there from 1129 to 1374 and possibly beyond. The church arguably has the most extensive sculptural remains preserved of any Armenian medieval complex in Cilicia.
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Le Muséon, 2019
In 1981, Robert W. Edwards had discovered a six-line Armenian inscription in the previously unrep... more In 1981, Robert W. Edwards had discovered a six-line Armenian inscription in the previously unreported castle of Tamrut of the Armenian Kingdom in Cilicia. Unfortunately, picture-taking conditions made it difficult to obtain a photograph that would allow for a full reading of the inscription. A high-resolution scan and digital image processing have now allowed the author to interpret the important parts of the inscription. These include the medieval name of the castle, T'ambrowt – thus establishing a link with the modern name of the castle, the year of construction of 1253 AD, and references to King Het'um I and his father Kostandin, Lord of Papeṙōn, in whose memory the castle was built. This information allows us to conclude that despite agreements with the military Crusader orders to protect the southern flanks of the kingdom, and the treaty of vassalage to the Mongols, Het'um I was in a position to build new fortifications to protect his kingdom, and exercised an autonomous policy of military activity. Evidence of construction – or renovation – preserved in other castles of the kingdom may be dated to Het'um I’s reign, in which case it would support these conclusions, even though much of the military construction of Cilician Armenia is traditionally ascribed to King Lewon I or the baronial period which preceded his coronation.
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Conference Presentations by Jirair Christianian
Papers by Jirair Christianian