Journal of Oriental Studies has been published since 2006. Journal is the successor of the "Problems of Oriental Studies", proceedings of the interuniversity scholarly articles and "Oriental Collection" (2004) published by the Ministry of Higher and Vocational Secondary Education of the Armenian SSR (1983-2004). JOS is an interdisciplinary and interregional academic journal edited by the Faculty of Oriental Studies of YSU.
Authors will be entitled in ownership of the copyright for their publications. Permitted third party reuse is defined by the following user license: Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC). CC BY-NC allows users to copy and distribute the article, provided this is not done for commercial purposes. The users may adapt – remix, transform, and build upon the material giving appropriate credit, providing a link to the license. The full details of the license are available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Under this license, authors retain ownership of the copyright for their publications, but grant Journal of Օriental Studies and Yerevan State University Publishing house a non-exclusive license to publish the work in paper and electronic form and allow anyone to reuse, distribute and reproduce the content as long as the original work is properly cited. Appropriate attribution can be provided by simply citing the original work. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.
GEOPOLITICAL CHANGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE PERSIAN GULF FOLLOWING THE UNITED STATES–ISRAEL WAR AGAINST IRAN
The United States–Israel war against Iran (the 12-Day War of February 2026) fundamentally altered the international and geopolitical landscape of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region. Despite the significant damage inflicted on Iran, the military campaign failed to achieve one of its principal objectives—the overthrow of the Iranian political regime. The strategic calculations of the United States and Israel proved inaccurate, as they underestimated the considerable ideological resilience embedded within Iran’s political and state institutions, the core of which is constituted by Islamic ideology. Iran remains a major regional power owing to its extensive network of political and strategic influence across several Middle Eastern countries, including Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria. Consequently, any military confrontation with Iran could not be confined solely to Iranian territory but inevitably extended to a broader regional dimension involving multiple arenas of influence and proxy actors.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ashot Karapetyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
IBN AL-JAWZĪ’S CRITIQUE OF SUFI DHIKR, SAMĀʿ, AND RITUAL CHANTING IN TALBĪS IBLĪS
Ibn Al-Jawzi's work “Talbīs Iblīs” (“The Deception of Satan”) is a significant source for understanding of the attitude of orthodox Islam, particularly the Hanbali school, towards Sufi philosophy, ecstatic practice and all kinds of religious innovations (bidʿa) in Islam. This article presents the theses of the author in the chapter entitled “The Deception of Satan During Meditation, Dance and Ecstasy”, examines and classifies them. We aimed to point out the contradictions in the work, and the logical chain of citations of sources. In addition, elements of discourse analysis are applied to understand how the author uses authoritative sources - Sunnah, hadiths, quotes from famous theologians - to defend his position. As well as to analyze how he presents these hypotheses and views, confirming or denying them. The article also analyzes the criteria according to which Ibn al-Jawzī classifies singing and ritual chanting as either permissible or impermissible. Although Talbīs Iblīs has served an important source for a numerous scholars revious studies have mainly focused on presenting the general ideas and concepts of the work. The emphasis has mainly been placed on presenting the Hanbali school's position toward Sufism, based on the mentioned work. This article attempts to provide a more detailed examination of those sections of Talbīs Iblīs that explicitly address Sufi samāʿ and other forms of ritual chanting, with the aim of analyzing Ibn al-Jawzī’s arguments and the conclusions he reaches concerning these practices.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anush Tamrazyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
BETWEEN VERNACULAR PRACTICE AND STANDARDIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE: MARINE ANIMAL TERMINOLOGY IN A NINETEENTH-CENTURY QUADRILINGUAL ARMENO-TURKISH DICTIONAR
This article examines marine animal terminology in a nineteenth-century quadrilingual Armeno-Turkish medical dictionary (MS 10782, Matenadaran), with a focus on the processes through which scientific and vernacular knowledge were transmitted and adapted in a multilingual Ottoman context. Drawing on a series of lexicographic case studies, the study demonstrates that the terminology of marine species reflects a transitional stage between vernacular naming practices and emerging terminological standardization. The analysis shows that transcription functioned as a central mediating strategy, enabling the phonetic adaptation of Latin learned terms into Armenian-script Turkish (e.g., Mugil / Mujil, Cyprinus / Ch’ibrinus). However, transcription operated alongside other mechanisms, including semantic translation, metaphorical naming, functional classification through “umbrella terms,” and intralingual explanation. These strategies often resulted in taxonomic instability, cross-species equivalence, and the coexistence of multiple naming systems derived from Greek, Latin, Italian, and Turkic sources. The findings highlight the absence of strict one-to-one equivalence in nineteenth-century zoological terminology and demonstrate how knowledge was actively mediated through a combination of linguistic and conceptual strategies. A diachronic perspective further reveals that while some terms persisted into modern Turkish, others underwent semantic shift or disappeared, reflecting the gradual standardization of scientific vocabulary. By situating these processes within the broader framework of multilingual lexicographic practice, the article argues that Armeno-Turkish functioned as a crucial medium for the transmission, localization, and transformation of scientific knowledge in the Ottoman Empire.
Copyright (c) 2026 Lusine Khachatryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
THE TEACHER–AI–STUDENT MODEL IN ESP AND AFL CLASSROOMS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF READING COMPREHENSION AT YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY
This study investigates the pedagogical implications of supervised artificial intelligence use on reading comprehension development within English for Specific Purposes and Arabic as a Foreign Language courses at Yerevan State University. Drawing on structural-typological distinctions between the two language systems, the paper addresses whether digitally mediated support enhances textual understanding without compromising learners' autonomous processing capacities. A mixed-methods comparative design was employed, using an adapted UNESCO text on the Silk Roads as the primary instrument. The study involved two groups of 20 students each, with asymmetric proficiency levels, and analysed data through a quantitative comparison of comprehension task accuracy before and after AI use, alongside thematic coding of qualitative student reflections. Participants completed a staged sequence of tasks encompassing individual reading, comprehension assessment, difficulty reflection, AI-assisted review, and evaluative feedback. Findings indicate that while both cohorts engaged productively with digital tools, their patterns of use diverged considerably. ESP learners drew upon AI assistance chiefly for semantic clarification and conceptual interpretation, whereas AFL learners relied upon it predominantly for morphological analysis, diacritical vocalisation (tashkīl), and the resolution of script-induced structural ambiguities. The study argues that AI functions most effectively as a didactic instrument when sustained teacher guidance remains central to the learning process. The proposed Teacher-AI-Student model offers a methodologically grounded framework for language instruction in higher education, one that cultivates critical engagement with texts while guarding against uncritical dependence on automated tools.
Copyright (c) 2026 Irina Burnazyan, Alice Eloyan, Lilit Yeghikyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
HANBALI CRITICISM OF AL-RAFIḊA IN IBN AL-JAWZĪ’S TALBĪS IBLĪS (THE DEVIL’S DECEIT)
The treatise “Talbīs Iblīs” (The Devil’s Deceit) by Ibn al-Jawzi (1116-1201), a representative of the Hanbali religious jurisprudence of Sunni Islam, exemplifies the mapping of religious and intellectual contradictions in 12th-century Baghdad. During this period, in the intellectual environment of the city, various Shiite (al-rāfiḍa) movements maintained their activity alongside the four Sunni religious and legal schools, theological directions, and the gradually strengthening presence of Sufis in the public sphere. The competition between the mentioned religious and ideological groups, as well as political developments, is inevitably reflected in the works of Ibn al-Jawzi, a preacher involved in court life. The aim of the article is to examine Ibn al-Jawzi’s approaches to Shiite circles (al-Rāfiḍa) through an analysis of relevant sections of Talbīs Iblīs. By situating Ibn al-Jawzi within the religious and political developments of 12th-century Baghdad, the article demonstrates his fundamental criticism of the Shiites at both ideological and practical levels.
Copyright (c) 2026 Shushan Kyureghyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
THE CRIMINALIZATION OF LÈSE-MAJESTÉ IN TURKEY AS A LEGAL INSTRUMENT FOR THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF REPRESSION AND CENTRALIZATION OF POWER: THE PRICE OF QUESTIONING THE UNQUESTIONABLE
This article examines the normative content and practical application of Article 299 of the Penal Code of the Republic of Turkey, contextualizing them within the framework of authoritarian transformations and the centralization of power. Employing historical-legal and comparative methods, the study demonstrates that the criminalization of insulting the head of state in Turkey has evolved into a legal mechanism for the "sacralization" of the presidential institution and the legitimation of one-man rule. The unprecedented surge in criminal proceedings initiated and convictions handed down during R. T. Erdoğan’s presidency demonstrates the systemic abuse of this legal norm. Furthermore, by analyzing the contradictions between the rulings of the Constitutional Court of Turkey, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), and the standards of the Venice Commission, the article emphasizes that Article 299 has transcended the classical legal boundaries of protecting personal honor and dignity, functioning in practice as an institutional lever for the suppression of political opposition and freedom of speech.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anushik Martirosyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
SOMATIC PHRASEOLOGY IN THE CONTEXT OF LANGUAGE CONTACTS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN IDIOMS WITH THE COMPONENT BAŠ
The purpose of this article is to present phraseological expressions as an integral and distinctive part of every language, demonstrating the peculiarities of their usage across different layers of the language. As in any language, in Azerbaijani as well, idioms endow the language with a unique vitality and expressiveness, while simultaneously encapsulating the ethnolinguistic realities, national linguistic worldview, traditions, and customs of the people. By analyzing the structural, semantic, and stylistic characteristics of idioms, the study highlights their role in reflecting a nation's ethno-linguistic consciousness, historical evolution, and socio-cultural interactions. The research also focuses on the semantic classification of idioms—categorizing them into groups. The study includes an appendix featuring Azerbaijani phraseological units formed with the word "baş" (head), provided with literal translations and their corresponding Armenian equivalents. The study concludes that phraseology remains a dynamic, living layer of language that continuously adapts to social and communicative shifts.
Copyright (c) 2026 Lilit Movsisyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
THE INFLUENCE OF THE 1993 COPENHAGEN AND 1999 HELSINKI SUMMITS ON TURKEY-EU RELATIONS
The new geopolitical situation that arose as a result of the collapse of the bipolar world order led to significant changes in Turkey's foreign policy. On the one hand, the collapse of the USSR weakened Turkey's importance as the West's main partner on the southern borders of the USSR, on the other hand, the new geopolitical situation and the power vacuum in the region that arose as a result of the disappearance of the second pole created new opportunities for Turkey. It is no coincidence that in the late 1980s and early 1990s, unprecedented activity was recorded in Turkey to radically revise its domestic and foreign policies and attempt to implement them. Turning to Turkey-EU relations, it is worth noting that in parallel with the new directions of foreign policy, Turkey continued to maintain active relations with the Union in the 1990s, seeking to complete the long process of membership.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mher Abrahamyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
FROM MYTH TO SENSORIUM: RECASTING THE MARVEL IN CONTEMPORARY CHINESE NARRATIVE (MO YAN’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY)
The article examines Mo Yan’s poetics within the transnational trajectories of magical realism, marking the author’s 70th anniversary as a key context. It proposes to interpret Chinese “hallucinatory realism” as a localized form of magical realism grounded in corporeality and sensory experience. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Wendy B. Faris, Amaryll B. Chanady, Mikhail Bakhtin, Jacques Lacan, and Paul Ricoeur, the study develops the concept of a poetics of corporeality, where the marvelous is embedded in the material and phenomenological world. Through close analysis of Mo Yan’s major novels – “Sandalwood Death”, “Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out”, “Frog”, “Pow!”, “The Republic of Wine”, and “Red Sorghum” – the article demonstrates that bodily sensoriality functions as a mediator between memory, history, and power. The marvelous is not detached from the real but naturalized within it, manifesting through theatricality, acoustics, gastronomy, and color. This research advances the idea of corporeal realism as a universal narrative model that expands magical realism beyond its Latin American origins. The study highlights Mo Yan’s contribution to world literature and underscores the significance of Chinese narrative experience for contemporary comparative literary studies.
Copyright (c) 2025 Natalie Gonchar-Khanjyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
METHODOLOGICAL FEATURES OF TEACHING THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY AT YSU
The article deals with the content and methodological features of teaching the history of the Republic of Turkey at Yerevan State University. The structure of the course is analyzed within the framework of the "Turkology" and "Azerbaijani Studies" educational programs of the YSU Faculty of Oriental Studies, where the course "History of the Republic of Turkey" is the logical continuation of the courses "History of the Seljuk and Early Ottoman Periods" and "History of the Ottoman Empire." The teaching process combines traditional methods - lectures, seminars, testing assignments - with modern, student-centered approaches - debate, simulation-based learning, demonstration methods, as well as the use of visual and cartographic materials. Combination of these methods contributes to the formation of students' critical thinking, analytical skills, and research capabilities. An important component of the educational process's effectiveness is also the availability of an Armenian-language academic textbook, which ensures the scientific validity and in-depth understanding of the material being taught.
Copyright (c) 2025 Tatevik Hakobyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
FAILED DIALOGUE: THE 1988 GREEK-TURKISH DAVOS PROCESS IN THE SHADOW OF HISTORICAL TRAUMAS
The meeting held in Davos in 1988 between Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Özal aimed to alleviate the long-standing tensions between the two countries. Its goal was to promote dialogue and reduce the likelihood of military and diplomatic clashes. Although initial optimism was evident, it quickly dissipated due to unresolved contradictions and deeply rooted historical issues. The Cyprus issue, minority rights, and disagreements over military balance in the Aegean Sea persisted, fueled by years of accumulated mistrust. Ultimately, the Davos process did not live up to expectations and is seen as a missed opportunity to overcome the historical burden.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rafik Khachatryan, Gagik Hambaryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
SEMANTIC AND SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS OF THE VERB جعل (JAʿALA)
This article examines the semantic and syntactic application of the verb جعل (jaʿala) based on data from Quranic texts and classical Arabic dictionaries. The analysis suggests the existence of several meanings for the verb جعل (jaʿala), encompassing creating, making, placing, imposing, naming, and other functions, depending on the number of objects the verb requires in a sentence. Generalizing the obtained data, the study concludes that the verb جعل (jaʿala) is used with the meaning of "to create" or "to make" when it requires one object, and sometimes appears as a tool for transformation or attribution when it requires two or more objects. This analysis is an important contribution to the grammatical and syntactic study of Arabic, allowing for a deeper understanding of those verses in the Quran where the verb is used.
Copyright (c) 2025 Meri Chplakhyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
18TH-19TH-CENTURY ARMENO-TURKISH SELECTED MEDICAL MANUSCRIPTS AND TRANSMISSION, TRANSLATION, AND LOCALIZATION OF MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE18TH-19TH-CENTURY ARMENO-TURKISH SELECTED MEDICAL MANUSCRIPTS AND TRANSMISSION, TRANSLATION, AND LOCALIZATION OF MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
This article explores the transmission and transformation of medical knowledge in the Ottoman Empire through selected Armeno-Turkish manuscripts from the 18th to the 19th centuries. It highlights the European influence on Ottoman medicine via Latin and Arabic texts, which were translated into Turkish and Armenian scripts, reflecting a dynamic process of localization and adaptation. The study focuses on four significant manuscripts housed at the Matenadaran, illustrating diverse sources—from Arabic, Latin (Italian) —to demonstrate how medical terminology, practices, and cultural exchanges shaped regional medical traditions. The involvement of religious institutions, particularly the Armenian Church and Protestant communities, played a critical role in knowledge dissemination, fostering cross-cultural interactions and linguistic enrichment. The manuscripts reveal early 19th-century efforts to incorporate modern European medical ideas into Ottoman society, emphasizing the importance of translation and contextualization in medical education. Ultimately, these handwritten texts serve as valuable cultural artifacts, highlighting the complex interplay between traditional and modern medicine, local needs, and external influences in shaping Ottoman medical history.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lusine Khachatryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
THE ROLE OF EGYPT IN THE CONTEXT OF SYRIA’S RETURN TO THE “ARAB FAMILY” (2013-2023)
In 2023, Syria restored its membership in the League of Arab States and returned to the Arab fold. The internal political crisis that started in 2011 and then the long-lasting conflict completely undermined Syria's place and status in the Arab World. Moreover, several Arab countries took an openly hostile stance towards Syria, supporting various extremist groups fighting against Syrian government forces. It was possible to break through the barrier of negation formed around Syria in inter-Arab relations in Egypt because of the position of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who came to power in 2013. The Egyptian president began to support not only Syrian President Bashar Al Assad on several issues but also launched active mediation in the Arab World for the restoration of official Damascus's political rehabilitation. As a positive effect of the efforts of the Egyptian president in mediating with the leaders of a number of Arab countries, in 2023, Syria was able to regain its membership in the League of Arab States. This is a big advance for the official Damascus, which aims to create a qualitatively new environment of political relations in inter-Arab relations with the full involvement of Syria.
Copyright (c) 2025 Գոռ Գևորգյան https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
ON THE HISTORY OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE MEANING AND SENSE OF THE “BANNER” IN THE EARLY MEDIEVAL ISLAMIC TRADITION
During the 20th century, against the backdrop of the rise of Islamic radicalism, several Islamist organizations began to use the flag as a symbol of their goals and ideas. This circumstance has sparked interest among both Islamic scholars and Muslims as well as Western scholars. To understand the significant symbolic importance attributed to the flag, it is necessary to determine the role the flag played in the early Islamic period. The article aims to analyze the significance, meanings, and applications of the flag symbol in the early Islamic period, and how the meanings and functions have changed over time due to historical circumstances. During the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, the flag in the ummah had only a military function. It was only after his death, and particularly during the last years of the Umayyad dynasty's rule, that it acquired the meaning of a religious symbol and transformed into an ideological symbol.
Copyright (c) 2025 Դավիթ Հովհաննիսյան https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
ÉTUDES ON TALYSHI AND CAUCASIAN PERSIAN (TATI) LEXICON
The article, presented in the form of études, examines and analyzes certain lexical forms from Northern Talyshi and Caucasian Persian (Tati)—two Iranian languages spoken in the Eastern Transcaucasia. These languages have a history of continious and close contact with non-Iranian languages, including Indo-European and Caucasian languages of the region. This makes them particularly significant for the study of language contact in general and areal linguistic phenomena in particular.
Copyright (c) 2025 Վարդան Ոսկանյան, Արտյոմ Տոնոյան https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
THE REFLECTIONS OF NATIONALISM IN THE PROGRAMS OF THE ISLAMIC PARTIES IN TURKEY 1960-1980
Contemporary Turkey's foreign and domestic, educational, propaganda policy, as well as official rhetoric, prove that the synthesis of Islam and nationalism has turned into the country's state identity. In 1923-founded Turkey, the competition between secularism and religiosity has a history of decades and at some point, nationalism was more openly intertwined with Islamic ideology, and today it is essentially one whole. In turn, Islamism and nationalism in Turkey, developing in parallel from the second half of the last century, had phases of competition, but often there were obvious preconditions for their merging or at least close cooperation. Some reflections of this phenomenon can be seen in the programs of pro-Islamic parties operating since the 1970s. In this article, the programs of the "National Order", "National Salvation" and "Welfare" parties are examined, presenting certain definitions of nationalism in them, as well as depicting the political developments of the time and the relationship between religion and secularism.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ռուբեն Մելքոնյան, Գոռ Հովհաննիսյան https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
EXPLORING THE (UN)USUAL “SITES OF MEMORY”: ARMENIAN-SCRIPT TURKISH MEMOIRS
The entanglement of nations, religions, and languages, which is inevitable in any empire, leads to the minglings of cultures and worldviews, creating new, mixed, or intermediate forms. Armenian-script Turkish, which combines elements of both languages is an example of such a symbiosis. The purpose of this article is to present the memoirs written in Armenian-script Turkish by two eyewitnesses of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The diaries under study recall the stories of two families who lived in Aintab (Antep) and Dörtyol (Arm. Chork-Marzpan) before the genocide. The tragic fate of these people, forcibly displaced during World War I, reflects the harrowing history of an entire nation that endured deportation, starvation, and massacres.
Copyright (c) 2025 Նաիրա Պողոսյան https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
STANDARD PERSIAN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TESTS FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS
This study examines Iran's national strategy for Persian language dissemination through standardized testing, focusing on the AMFA, AZFA, and particularly the SAMFA proficiency examinations. Situated within the border frameworks of language policy, corpus-based testing, and assessment theory, the paper explores the development, administration, and theoretical underpinnings of these tests. SAMFA, the most internationally recognized and academically aligned test, is analyzed in detail with reference to task design, linguistic content, and CEFR compatibility. Drawing on corpus linguistics (e.g. Peykareh), communicative competence models, and applied linguistic theory, the study reveals tensions between cultural authenticity and standardization. It highlights the structural and sociolinguistic particularities of Persian that complicate full alignment with Western testing frameworks such as the CEFR. Despite formal resemblance to international tests like IELTS, SAMFA remains a unique case of language assessment shaped by local norms, educational policy, and ideological imperatives. The findings contribute to the growing field of non-European language proficiency assessment and the challenges of global comparability in high-stakes language testing.
Copyright (c) 2025 Noonik Darbinian https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
NEO-SUFI REFLECTIONS IN SOHRAB SEPEHRI’S POETRY
This article examines the poetic development of modern Persian poet Sohrab Sepehri as a manifestation of neo-mystical thought. It analyzes the religious and philosophical traditions that influenced his work, including Sufism, pantheism, Buddhism, and elements of Western mysticism. The author demonstrates how Sepehri, drawing on classical models of spiritual transformation, created a distinctive poetic language rich in symbolism. The analysis reveals how Sepehri’s personal spiritual experience evolves into a universal mystical system, reflecting his effort to synthesize Eastern and Western philosophical traditions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anna Stepanyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
ON THE TEACHING AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE SPECIALIZED COURSE "PERSIAN LANGUAGE 5, 6"
The article discusses several teaching and methodological features of the "Persian 5, 6" professional course. This course covers the Persian language levels B3 (Intermediate) and C1 (Advanced), designed for students of the Department of Iranian Studies at Yerevan State University, as well as those interested in these language levels. The thematic content and methodological approach of this professional course were developed by the Department of Iranian Studies for an Armenian-speaking audience, drawing from years of continuous teaching and conducted studies. Today, the growing necessity and widespread application of Persian present a challenge for language teachers, as this issue must be approached in new ways, with fresh perspectives, approaches, and proposals for innovative solutions to the challenges posed. The article aims to present the specific features of teaching the "Persian-5, 6" subject in the Armenian-language classroom, to improve the quality of learning the subject, and to develop and enhance the application of teaching methods and skills.
Copyright (c) 2025 բ․գ․թ․, ասիստենտ Զարուհի Հ․ Խաչատրյան https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
APOCALYPTIC LANDSCAPES: A COMPARISON OF ESCHATOLOGICAL CONCEPTS IN DANTE’S «DIVINE COMEDY» AND «THE BOOK OF ARDA VIRAF»
Posthumous experiences, retribution for sins, and their atonement have captivated human thought since ancient times, sparking the imagination and finding expression in sacred texts that, despite temporal and socio-cultural differences, exhibit striking similarities and semantic correspondences. This observation invites a comparative analysis of texts from different religious traditions that convey similar moral messages, suggesting the possibility of a unified religious code. This article examines a comparative study of two significant works: the Zoroastrian travelogue «Arda-Viraz-namak» and Dante Alighieri's Christian epic poem «The Divine Comedy». The aim is to explore the parallels between these texts, both of which are not only of immense artistic and literary value but also hold substantial socio-cultural influence. The relevance of this topic is particularly pronounced in the Armenian ethnocultural context, considering the proximity of Christian Armenia to Iran, the birthplace of Zoroastrianism and a major political player in the Middle East.
Copyright (c) 2025 Natalie Gonchar-Khanjyan, Jivan Gasparyan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
ON AN EARLY IRANIAN LOANWORD IN THE ARTSAKH DIALECT
The article is devoted to the examination of a plant name, kndəmnešak, attested in the Armenian dialect of Artsakh and used with the meaning "violet" (Lat. Narcissus). According to the etymology proposed in the article, this word is a loanword in the Artsakh dialect, borrowed during the Middle or Early New Iranian period from Middle Persian or Early New Persian. The article also delves into the phonological changes, (g > k, mmn > mn) and semantic shifts that occurred during its adaptation into the Artsakh dialect.
Copyright (c) 2025 Գուրգեն Մելիքյան https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Key moments of Prof. M. B. Piotrovsky's biography
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
SYMBOL OF ARMENIAN -RUSSIAN INTELLECTUAL AND SCIENTIFIC RELATIONS: MIKHAIL PIOTROVSKY
Congratulatory message from the Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies of Yerevan State University, Dr. Prof. Ruben Melkonyan on the 80th anniversary of Mikhail Piotrovsky.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ռուբեն Մելքոնյան https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
ON THE EGYPTIAN-JUDEAN CONFLICT OF 410 B.C.
Under the influence of the priests of Egyptian god Khnum’s temple the Egyptians destroyed the temple of Yaho which was located in Elephantine. In this clash Antisemitism had been seen for decades in professional literature. But the attack of Egyptians against Judeans was a political action and coincided with anti-Persian wave. There were different motives in the destruction of the temple in Elephantine. The spiritual élite of Jerusalem was for the destruction of the temple so they incited the Egyptians to take action. That clash was convenient also for the Egyptians cause besides religious and economic intolerance the anti-Persian revolt was increasing. The Persian satrapic regime didn’t suppress the Egyptians’ actions cause they didn’t have enough forces for that but tried to satisfy the complaints of Judeans in future allowing them to rebuild the temple. Thus, there was no reason to connect the destruction of the temple in Elephantine with the antisemitism.
Copyright (c) 2023 Author(s) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
THE SYMBOLS AND MOTIFS USED IN TRADITIONAL IRANIAN EMBROIDERY
The recognition of the culture, identity, art, and especially handicrafts of every society is of special importance, therefore, the recognition of Iran's modern history and unique culture and Iranian society is also related to the recognition of its art and artistic works, and they are expressed in the best and most beautiful way by Iranian women. The History of Iranian Embroidery shows that Iranian art and culture, including handmade arts and crafts, have undergone many changes for thousands of years, but they have never lost their Iranian identity and roots. In this article, the meanings of symbols and patterns used in Iranian embroidery have been presented and their Iranian origin has been discussed.
ON THE METHODOLOGICAL FEATURES OF TEACHING TURKISH LITERATURE IN ARMENIA
The article discusses issues related to the methodology of teaching Turkish literature of different periods in Armenian universities, in particular the necessity of revealing ideological imperatives, the historical environment of production, cultural and linguistic nuances of works by the Turkish authors of different eras. The article emphasizes the importance of overcoming the “cliches” of the Soviet period in the analysis of Turkic-language Sufi literature, as well as, presents a brief outline of scientific and methodological publications of Armenian Turkologists and literary critics over the past thirty years: a remarkable achievement is the creation by Prof. R. Melkonyan of the “Textbook of Turkish Literature (the 20s of the XX century - the beginning of the XXI century)”. In addition, this article presents the problems of using classical samples of poetry and prose in the process of teaching the Turkish language and the history of the Turkic languages.
STEREOTYPICAL IMAGES AND ENEMY PERCEPTIONS IN THE TURKISH NATIONALIST MAGAZINES (1960-1970S)
The article examines the theoretical formation of the image of the "enemy", the toolkit necessary for spreading and rooting among social groups. Anti-propaganda tricks and methods to prevent the spread of communism during the "red terror" in Turkey in the 1960-1970s are presented. The most effective means of spreading hatred towards "internal" and "external" enemies and justifying the fight against them, namely the dehumanized depictions and caricatures of the "enemy" character, are being examined in detail.
THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE "MAVİ VATAN" DOCTRINE IN TURKEY. A BRIEF OVERVIEW
The "Mavi Vatan" doctrine, which originated back in 2006 in the Naval Forces Command of the Republic of Turkey, represents the ambitions of the Republic of Turkey in the four surrounding seas: the Black, Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean Seas. The doctrine is not only widely spread in political and social circles, but also in scientific and analytical circles, and the fact that the doctrine has gained widespread not only in Turkish but also in international scientific and analytical circles is also very important. Studying the origin and development of the doctrine, it can be seen that quite serious and consistent work has been carried out at the state level to implement this concept and to spread and strengthen it in the broad circles of society. This article also allows getting acquainted with some features of the state policy of the Republic of Turkey, from which it is necessary to highlight the fact that neither internal nor foreign policy is determined by individuals in Turkey. And finally, even though the term "Blue Homeland" appeared in 2006 and later received the status of a doctrine, it should be emphasized that Turkish naval ambitions are long-standing, and Mavi Vatan is another material manifestation of these ambitions.