Армянское культурное наследие, исторически представляя целостную материальную и духовную культуру Армении, с эпохи неолита (X-первая пол. VI тыс. до н.э.), энеолита (сер. VI-IV тыс. до н.э.), бронзы (вторая пол. IV- сер. II тыс. до н.э.), железного века (вторая пол. II тыс. до н.э. и далее), античности и средневековья на Армянском нагорье засвидетельствовано археологическими памятниками, наскальным искусством и петроглифами, духовными источниками, эпическими сказаниями, архитектурными памятниками, хачкарами, клинописными надписями, античными и средневековыми письменными источниками, книжной живописью – миниатюрами, духовной музыкой, народным творчеством, ковроделием, керамическими и ювелирными изделиями и т.д.

ARMENIA: CIVILIZATIONAL VECTOR IN THE HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SILK ROAD

Eduard L.Danielyan

Resume^ The system of the cultural values of Armenia has got a considerable place in the history of the development of world civilization. In ancient and medieval times Armenia, owing to its strategic position, rich natural resources, military-economic might, high level of artisan productions, town-planning, architecture, and particularly, a developed net of trade routs, made a great civilizational contribution to the history of the Silk Road. The hollistic historical heritage of the Armenian people territorially includes Eastern and Western Armenia, Armenian Cilicia and Armenian (Northern) Mesopotamia, but only the territory of the Republic of Armenia (which is a part of Eastern Armenia) has been presented in ''the Silk Road Integral program'' initiated by UNESCO since 1988. Turkey which perpetrated the Armenian Genocide has destroyed a huge number of Armenian architectural monuments and at the same time it is making falsifications in the fields of archaeology, history and historical geography. Turkish falsifiers try to obliterate historic memory and ''privatize'' Armenian historic heritage of Western Armenia, including Armenian Cilicia and Armenian Mesopotamia by falsifications and destruction of Armenian cultural monuments. For this purpose they use also the ''The Alliance of Civilizations'' created under the auspices of the UN and ''the Silk Road Integral program'' initiated by UNESCO. In order the Silk Road international programme to be really truthful, the historic-cultural heritage of Armenia must be presented in its holistic territorial extent - the Armenian Highland (Great Armenia and Armenia Minor), Armenian Cilicia and Armenian Mesopotamia. The real scientific approach to the history of the Silk Road, in the course of the dialogue of civilizations, may become a guarantee of the world civilization, the spiritual-cultural sources of which are in Armenia.