YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–Unique Armenian artifacts–including religious–national relics–and man’scripts from the "Cilicia" museum of the Cilician Catholicosate in Antelias–will be displayed from March 23 to July 4 at the New York Metropolitan Museum’s exposition–"Byzantium: Faith and Power."
Among other antiquities–three great samples–the Bardzrberd Bible–a 13th century Bible–and the right hand of St. Nicholas (1315)–will be displayed. Catholicos Aram I is scheduled to participate in the opening ceremony.
The third in a chronological series–the exhibit is devoted to the art and influence of Byzantine civilization–this major international loan exhibition demonstrates the artistic and cultural significance of the last centuries of the state that called itself "the Empire of the Romans."
The exhibition begins in 1261–when the capital Constantinople was restored to imperial rule–and concludes in 1557–when the empire that had fallen to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 was renamed Byzantium–the name by which it is still known today. The importance of the era is primarily demonstrated through the arts created for the Orthodox Church and for the churches of other East Christian states that aspired to be the heirs to the empire’s power. The impact of its culture on the Islamic world and the Latin-speaking West is also explored–especially the influence of the Christian East on the development of the Renaissance.
A major symposium–"Byzantium: Faith and Power" will be held in connection with the exhibition–at the Metropolitan Museum April 16 to 18.