On September 8, 2017, the RA Ministry of Diaspora with the initiative of the Matenadaran Institute named after M. Mashtots and the Perio Educational Association of Tehran, the “History Book” of Stephanos the Elder of Hazarjrib was presented at the Matenadaran conference hall.

The book has translated from Classical Armenian into Modern Armenian by the senior researches of Matenadaran, Tamara Minasyan and Lusine Tumanyan, while the Associate Professor at YSU Chair of Iranian studies, Hasmik Kirakosyan has worked on the part related to the Iranian studies. The Chief Editor of the book is the first Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Doctor in Historical Sciences, Vahan Bayburdyan, who also the author of the preface of the mentioned book. The book was published in “Alik” printing house, Tehran. 

            The original manuscript is preserved at the Manuscript House of New Julfa, under the number “654”. The second manuscript is preserved at the Matenadaran Manuscript of Yerevan, which was copied from the original manuscript of New Julfa in 1945 – 1946, by the Iranian-Armenian philologist Levon Minasyan (MM, manuscript no. “10555”).    

The original version of the “History Book” of Stephanos the Elder of Hazarjrib, alongside with its Modern Armenian reproduction is being published for the first time in a full edition, which is one of the most important sources of the history of the Iranian-Armenian community, especially the history of Peria, Burvar, New Julfa provinces and the late Middle Ages history of Iran (17-18 centuries).       

            “The current work that has been published is a very important and valuable source. In this work, Stephanos the Elder presented the historical events of the late 17th and 18th centuries. It is written truly without any trends or directions, hence its importance as a source. Being a priest himself, the author has written his entire work in Classical Armenian tongue, however within the same text many dialectal elements that relate both to the Armenian and Persian languages. There are Persian quotes written in Armenian letters. Thus, as a source, beside the historical significance, the work also has a philological-linguistic importance. One of the important aspects of the book is that this work contains a whole ethnographic material about the lifestyle, culture, mentality, and, even in certain cases, traditions and customs. Therefore, this is the other important aspect of this academic work, as it contains credible information for the ethnographers, too”. -  Stated H. Kirakosyan.

The expert in Iranian studies is certain that the source will definitely serve its purpose and attention will be paid by the historians, philologists-linguists and ethnographers.