Opening of Exhibition Dedicated to Armenian Cultural Heritage in Crete

04 September, 2025

On the initiative of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Greece, an exhibition dedicated to Armenian tangible and intangible cultural heritage inscribed by UNESCO was opened in the courtyard of Saint John the Forerunner Church on the island of Crete.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Greece, Tigran Mkrtchyan; the overseer of St. John the Forerunner Church, His Eminence Archbishop Yeznik Petrosyan; the Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church Diocese of Romania and Bulgaria, His Grace Bishop Tatev Hakobyan; representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church, the Hellenic Parliament, the local self-government bodies of Crete, media outlets, and members of the Armenian community.

In his speech during the opening, Ambassador Tigran Mkrtchyan briefly presented the background of the photo exhibition created by former Ambassador of Armenia to the United Kingdom, Vahe Gabrielyan. The exhibition includes over 500 photographs with extensive descriptions and multilingual publication, which was first released in Yerevan in two volumes. In 2023, a selection of 50 photographs from the collection was first presented in Greece by the Embassy of Armenia in Athens.

The Ambassador noted that in the coming days, a series of important events are expected at the Armenian Church in Crete, particularly the placement of the Holy Relics of Saint John the Baptist, which is anticipated to attract thousands of visitors. These visitors will simultaneously have the opportunity to discover the rich and unique tangible and intangible Armenian cultural heritage — providing an additional incentive for increased interest toward Armenia.

Following the official presentation of the exhibition, an exhibition of dolls in traditional Armenian costumes was opened and introduced by His Eminence Archbishop Yeznik Petrosyan.

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