Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury House

The Alex and Marie Manoogian Treasury House is a museum of Armenian Church treasures in Vagharshapat. It opened in 1982, in a two-story building raised on the initiative of Catholicos (head of the Armenian Church) Vazgen I and funded by benefactor Alex Manoogian.

The collection was gathered over decades from Tokat, Constantinople, Van, Sebastia, Kesaria, Vaspurakan, Artsakh, Cilician Armenia and Armenian diaspora communities. Metalwork dominates the display. Crosses, double Gospel-book covers, rhipidia (liturgical hand-fans), gilded chalices, bishops' croziers, reliquary boxes, censers, incense holders, sunburst ornaments, myrrh vessels (holy-oil containers) and lamps make up most of it. Reliquary caskets and arm-shaped relic holders stand alongside silver belts and clasps, old coins and banknotes, ancient clay vessels and Kütahya ceramic pieces.

Textiles form the largest group in the collection. The oldest are delicate embroidered vestments made in Cilician Armenia, and the silk cross-banner attributed to Grigor I Lusavorich, dated 1448. Later highlights include the eagle-carpet piece of Catholicos Philipos I Aghbaketsi from 1651, an embroidered curtain for the main altar of Holy Etchmiadzin Cathedral, and a mitre (bishop's ceremonial headwear) given to Geghard Monastery in 1715. A cope (ceremonial cloak) of silk brocade and a block-printed altar shirt dated 1778 round out the ecclesiastical textiles, alongside Armenian carpets, road-carpets, small rugs and Persian silk carpets.

The Treasury House stands in Vagharshapat, Armavir region — ~19 km west of Yerevan (straight-line).