Armenian Shoe on Display

The oldest known leather shoe, otherwise known as the Armenian shoe, is on display in Armenia’s History Museum, drawing in large crowds, mostly tourists.

Armenia’s A1+ TV channel interviewed individuals present at the exhibit.

“After hearing about the shoe on television, I specifically asked my father to send me to Armenia for vacation. Now I am resting in Vayots Tsor’s Malishga village, which is not too far from the site where [the shoe] was found. I intend to visit the Areni cave,” said ninth grader Tavit Sarksyan, who resides in Moscow.

Hans Notperkn from Denmark noted that, aside from the shoe, he is interested in other archaeological samples.

“I have heard about the oldest shoe, but I think that other artifacts are interesting as well. I am amazed in Armenia’s culture in general,” he said.

Dimal Krov, an Indian living in Germany, said that he has been familiar with Armenian culture for a long time. Krov, who is married to an Armenian, was visiting the museum with his wife.

“I arrived in Armenia yesterday, and this museum is the first site I’m visiting. I heard about the 5,500-year-old shoe at the museum. With the first glance I became interested in it. I think Armenians feel very proud to have such a find,” said Krov.

The shoe was discovered in 2008 in the Vayots Dzor province’s Areni-1 cave. A month ago, Armenia’s Academy of National Sciences’ Institute of Archaeology handed the shoe over to the History Museum. Currently, museum staff and archaeologists are working on preservation methods for the shoe.

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Nanore Barsoumian

Nanore Barsoumian was the editor of the Armenian Weekly from 2014 to 2016. She served as assistant editor of the Armenian Weekly from 2010 to 2014. Her writings focus on human rights, politics, poverty, and environmental and gender issues. She has reported from Armenia, Nagorno-Karabagh, Javakhk and Turkey. She earned her B.A. degree in Political Science and English and her M.A. in Conflict Resolution from the University of Massachusetts (Boston).