Armenian is recognized as one of the world’s most ancient languages. Though it belongs to the Indo-European language family, it occupies a unique and independent branch, with no direct relation to any other modern language — much like Georgian. This linguistic distinctiveness gives Armenian a singular charm, making it not only a means of communication but also a vessel of cultural and historical identity.
Unlike Latin or Ancient Greek, Armenian has never faded into silence. It remains a living, evolving language, constantly enriching its vocabulary and refining its grammar to meet the demands of modern life.
Today, over seven million people around the globe speak Armenian. About half reside in Armenia itself, while the rest are scattered across continents — a testament to the resilience of a people and their language, carried far from home yet never forgotten.
The Armenian alphabet was created in the 5th century AD by Mesrop Mashtots, a devout scholar and cleric. His goal was profound: to strengthen the foundations of Christianity in Armenia by giving the people a script of their own — one that could carry sacred texts into the hearts of everyday Armenians.
With the creation of the alphabet, Mashtots also undertook the monumental task of translating the Bible into Armenian, making it accessible to the public for the first time, just a century after Armenia became the world’s first Christian nation.
The Armenian alphabet is a work of both linguistic precision and aesthetic beauty. It contains 39 letters — 8 vowels, 30 consonants, and a special letter “և”, which can represent two or even three distinct sounds depending on usage.
In honor of this remarkable script, Armenia has erected a monument to the Armenian alphabet near Artashavan, not far from Yerevan. Designed by the architect Jim Torosyan, the monument was unveiled to commemorate the 1600th anniversary of the alphabet’s creation. Each letter stands carved in stone, monumental and timeless — a poetic tribute to a language that has endured through centuries of change, exile, and rebirth.