The Phenomenon of Armenian Printing and the 'Urbatagir'

The history of Armenian printing has a unique characteristic: it was born and developed outside the homeland, as Armenia was deprived of statehood and divided between the Ottoman and Safavid empires in the 16th century. Despite the politically unfavorable conditions, Armenian became one of the oldest languages in the world in which books were printed using movable type, surpassing many other languages. The founder of Armenian printing is Hakob Meghapart, who published the first printed book in Armenian, "Urbatagirk," in Venice in 1512. Special molds were prepared for the printing of the book, which perfectly replicated the calligraphic styles of contemporary Armenian manuscripts. "Urbatagirk" is a collection of prayers, medical recipes, charms, and stories, which was used for protection against diseases and for healing purposes. The book was printed in two colors, black and red ink, which was also a continuation of the tradition of medieval manuscripts. In Venice, Hakob Meghapart printed four more books: "Pataragater," "Aghtark," "Parzatumar," and "Tagharan." The next important milestone in Armenian printing was the first complete edition of the Bible published by Voskanyan Yerevantsi in Amsterdam in 1666, which is notable for its high printing quality and rich illustrations. In the following centuries, Armenian printing houses were established in Constantinople, Rome, Lviv, Isfahan (New Julfa), Madras, and elsewhere. Notably, the book "Vorogayt P'larats," printed in Madras,