Armenian printing
Introduction The Armenian Literary Tradition exhibit at the Library of Congress in 2012, dedicated to the 500th anniversary of Armenian printingAfter the introduction of movable printing type to Europe by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany (circa 1439), Armenians from throughout the diaspora began to publish Armenian-language books. The first book which had Armenian letters was published in Mainz (Germany) in 1486.The first Armenian book to be published by the printing press was ''Urbatagirq''—Book of Friday prayers—which was published by Hakob Meghapart in Venice in 1512.
History Hakob Meghapart, publisher of the first printed Armenian book.Urbatagirq, the first book printed in Armenian in 1512.In the 16th century there were published 31 books, in 17th  century – 164 and in 18th there were 824 Armenian books printed. * The first Armenian book was published by Hakob Meghapart in 1512 in Venice (Italy). The book was called «Ուրբաթագիրք» ("Urpatakirk", "Friday Book"). * Abgar Dpir Tokhatetsi published an Armenian book in Constantinople (Ottoman Empire) in 1568. * The first Armenian printing house in Persia was established in New Julfa (Isfahan, Iran) in 1636.The first book to be published in this printing house was «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter"); it was published in 1638 by Khachatur Kesaratsi, while the first Persian book in Persia was published 192 years later in 1830. * The first Armenian printing house in Armenia was established in Vagharshapat in 1771 and the first book was called «Զբօսարան Հոգեւոր» ("Zbosaran Hogevor", "Spiritual walking"); it was published in 1772 by Simeon I of Yerevan. **The first Armenian printing house in Yerevan was established in 1876 by Z. Hakobyan. In 1880 E. Ter-Grigoryan became director of the printing house and worked there until the 1910s. The first book printed in the printing house was E. Ter-Grigoryan's "Trchnik" ("Small Bird") collection. * The first Armenian printing house in Russia was set up in Saint Petersburg in 1781.Grigor Khaldariants' had type sent from London, and under the sponsorship of the Primate of Armenians in Russia, Bishop Hovsep Arghutian, he edited the first Armenian book to be published in the Tsarist realm, «Տետրակ այբբենական» ("Tetrak aybbenakan", "ABC Reader") in 1781.He then printed works such as «Բանալի գիտութեան» ("Banali Gitut'ean", "The Key to Science"), «Շաւիղ լեզվագիտութեան» ("Shavigh Lezvagitut'ean", "Linguistic Guide"), and «Ընդհանրական»("Endhanrakan", "Encyclical Letter") by Nersés Shnorhali.=== 20th century ===After the sovietization of Armenia, Yerevan becoming the center of the Armenian printing, where in 1921 organized by the State Publishing House. It assumes the functions of editing and organization publications. Makes its political, artistic, scientific, publications for children with relatively large circulations. Separated from the State Publishing House publishing house “Luys” (Light), specialized mainly in the publication of textbooks. In 1964 from publishing Armenian State Publishing House (HayPetHrap) was renamed “Hayastan” (Armenia). In 1976 have been separated from the last publishing “Sovetakan Grogh” (Soviet writer), which it published in the most artistic and literary works. Academy of Science of Armenian SSR published a monograph of scientific and other research literature, and publish works of Armenian classical and scientific texts from the Matenadaran as well. Publishing house of  Yerevan State University publishes textbooks, collections and scientific monographs since 1922.From this period also involved in publishing the National Library, “Gitelik” (knowledge) and several others. In 1980 have acted in Yerevan on 20 printers. From 1922 until the end of 1970 in Armenia were published about 45 thousand titles of books. In the last years of Soviet power in Armenia each year were printed about 1,100 titles. During this period, books and periodicals published in the Armenian language as in other republics of the USSR.Since 1920 (the sovietization of Armenia) to the 1980s main centers of the Armenian printing press in the diaspora were  Istanbul, Cairo and Beirut (the latter now is its main center). At this moment the Armenian Diaspora was published about 21 thousand titles. Total number of items of Armenian newspapers in 1512 and 1980, more than 80 thousand.
Armenian printing houses worldwide The following table is a list of the '''Armenian printing houses''' from 1512 to 1800.Year Place  Book Publisher  Year 1512  Venice «Ուրբաթագիրք» ("Urbathagirq", "Friday Book") Hakob Meghapart  1512 1513  Venice «Պարզատումար» ("Parzatumar") Hakob Meghapart  1512 1513  Venice «Պատարագագիրք» ("Pataragagirq") Hakob Meghapart  1513 1513  Venice «Աղթարք» ("Aghtarq") Hakob Meghapart  1513 1513  Venice «Տաղարան» ("Tagharan") Hakob Meghapart  1513 1565  Venice «Խառնափնթուր տումարի գեղեցիկ եւ պիտանի» ("Kharnapntur tumari geghetsik yev pitani")  Abgar Dpir Tokhatetsi 1565 1567   Constantinople «Փոքր քերականութիւն» ("Poqr qerakanutyun", "Brief Armenian Grammar")  Abgar Dpir Tokhatetsi 1567 1584  Rome «Տոմար Գրիգորեան» ("Tomar Grigorian", "Gregorian Calendar') Dominico Basa 1584 1616  25px Lviv «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") Yovhannes Karamatanents 1616 1621  Milan "Dictionarium Armeno-Latinum" (Armenian-Latin Dictionary) Collegium Ambrosianum 1621 1633  Paris «Բառգիրք Հայոց» ("Bargirq Hayots", "Dictionarium Armeno-Latinum") Antonius Vitray 1633 1638 25px New Julfa «Սաղմոս ի Դավիթ» ("Saghmosaran", Psalter) Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1638 1641 25px New Julfa «Հարանց Վարք» ("Harants Varq") Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1641 1641 25px New Julfa «Խորհրդատետր» ("Khorhrdatetr", Missal) Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1641 1642 25px New Julfa «Ժամագիրք Ատենի» ("Zhamagirq Ateni") Khachatur Kesaratsi of the Vank Cathedral 1642 1644 Livorno «Գիրք եւ Սաղմոսք Դաւթի որ եւ Սաղմոսարան կոչի» ("Girq yev Saghmosq Davti vor yev Saghmosaran kochi", "Psalter") Yovhannes Jughayetsi 1644 1647 25px New Julfa «Գիրք տումարաց որ եւ պարզատումար կոչի» ("Girq tumarats vor yev parzatumar kochi") Yovhannes Jughayetsi 1647 1660  Amsterdam "Visus Ordi" (Jesus the Son)  Matteos Caretsi and Avetis Ghlitshents 1660–1661 1672  Marseille «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") Oskan Yerevantsi 1672 1676  Smyrna «Մաշտոց» ("Mashtots", "Ritual") N/A 1676 1680  Leipzig "Obadias Armenus" ("Armeno-Latin") Justinus Brand 1680 1690  Padua «Դաշանց թուղթ» ("Dashnats tught", "Lettera dell amicitia") Timoteos Garnuk 1690 1736  London Movses Khorenatsi, «Պատմություն» ("Patmutyun", "History") (Mosis Chorenensis, Historiae Armeniacae) ''Armenian and Latin'' William and George Whiston 1736 1771 25px Vagharshapat «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") St. Gregory the Illuminator Press 1772 1776  Trieste «Աղօթք Յուսկան» ("Aghot Yuskan", Prayer of our Holy Hierarch Yusik) Mkhitarist Press 1774 1781  Saint Petersburg «Ժամագիրք» ("Zhamagirq", "Breviary") Grigor Khaldareants 1783 1786  Nakhichevan-on-Don «Սաղմոսարան» ("Saghmosaran", "Psalter") Holy Cross Monastery Press 1790 1796  Astrakhan «Հրովարտակ» ("Hrovartak", "Decree") Arghuteants press 1796 1796 25px Calcutta «Վիճաբանութիւն ար շահ Սլեմանն պարսից» ("Vitsabanuthyun ar sah Slemann parsits", "Dispute Before the Persian Sah Suleyman") Hovsep Stepanosyan 1797 1810 25px Bombay 1812   Vienna 1820  Moscow 1823  Tiflis 1828  Shusha 1833  Jerusalem 1848  Bahçecik 1856  Shamakhi 1857  New York City 1858  Van 1859  Feodosiya, Crimea 1863  Muş 1863  Manchester 1865  Cairo 1871  Sivas 1872  Baku 1874  Elisabethpol 1875  Rostov-on-Don 1876  Erivan 1877  Alexandrapol 1877  Focşani 1883  Tokat 1884  Varna 1888  Alexandria 1888  Akhaltsikh 1889 25px Tabriz 1890  Nor Bayazet 1891  Geneva 1891  Rousse 1892  Athens 1894 25px Tehran 1899  Boston
See also * Global spread of the printing press* Armenian literature
References
External links *  Armenian Rare Books 1512-1800*  HyeEtch: The Art of The Book: Printing and Engraving