International Conference in Armenia

Call for papers

Van City - 2865

Second half of October, 2010
Yerevan, Armenia
"Vaspurakan" Compatriots' Union, the Institute of Archaeology and
Ethnography of National Academy of Sciences, Armenia, in collaboration
with the Institute of History and the Institute of Oriental Studies, NAS
RA are organizing an International Conference dedicated to 2865th
anniversary of the first record about Van city.
Confirmed by the written sources, Turushpa-Tushpa-Van was an ancient city
in Armenian Highlands, which existed uninterrupted more than twenty eight
and a half centuries. In such status it is also one of the unique cities
of the whole Middle East. Since its foundation Tushpa-Van was not only the
Capital City of Van Kingdom (Urartu), but also the Yervanduni Armenian
kingdom, successor of the Van Kingdom, thus this city is the capital of
the first state with all-Armenian coverage. In 10-11th centuries it was
also the capital of Vaspurakan Kingdom. Van maintained its role of
Armenian center in the late Middle Ages too. During the 19th century and
at the beginning of the 20th Van was the commercial, handicraft and
cultural center and the most Armenian-populated city of Western Armenia.
During the years of Armenian Genocide Van was the only large city, the
self-defense of which ended with victory. The power, created later by Aram
Manukyan's, and in 1917-1918 - by Kosti Hambardzumyan's leadership in this
city, was the first Armenian political formation of the 20th century.
Conference is dedicated not only to the first capital of Armenia, but the
history, culture, archaeology, ethnography, folklore, literature, art and
architectural heritage of the whole Vaspurakan region.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Abstracts in Armenian or English (not exceeding 300 words) are to be
emailed by September 6, 2010 to: hmarut@yahoo.com
A brief CV, including contact details is to be included in the message.
The authors of the selected abstracts will be contacted by the Organizing
Committee by September 14, 2010. The selected presentations will be
published in a separate volume.
Conference will be held in the second half of October. Details will be
posted to selected speakers.
For questions and additional information please contact Dr. Harutyun
Marutyan, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography (15 Charents str.,
Yerevan, 0025, Armenia) by email: hmarut@yahoo.com or call (+374-10)
55-67-97, (+374-10) 23-03-65, (+374-91) 65-86-76.