Armenia of the Levant (11th-14th century).
Beautiful Letters| N° d'inventaire | 16596 |
| Format | 23.5 x 30 |
| Détails | 1152 p., 84 genealogical tables, 74 maps, 228 color ill., box set of 2 bound volumes under dust jacket. |
| Publication | Paris, 2012 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | |
The year 1045 marked the end of the last kingdom of Armenia in Greater Armenia, but far from disappearing, Armenia was paradoxically preparing to experience the most brilliant period of its history. Autonomous principalities emerged on the part of the historical territory freed from the Turkish yoke, while a process of state renaissance developed in Cilicia, opposite the island of Cyprus, culminating in 1198 in the foundation of a "kingdom of Armenia outside Armenia." There were thus two Armenias, linked in the face of the irruption in the Near East of the Franks via the Crusades in the 12th century and then of the Mongols in the 13th. With the Latin states, from which they adopted several administrative aspects, the Armenians established relations of equals where matrimonial ties held an essential place, while facing the Mongols they benefited from the experience of the princes of Greater Armenia. Through subtle, all-out diplomacy that took into account Greek, Turkish, and Arab elements, the kings of Armenia in Cilicia found themselves in the mid-13th century at the head of the most powerful Christian state in the East, a hub of trade between Europe and the East. The cultural flowering was spectacular, the kingdom adapting Frankish contributions to the Armenian mold while perpetuating its artistic traditions, while Greater Armenia was covered with superb works of architecture. From the 13th to the beginning of the 14th century, the Armenians were therefore at the center of the Eurasian galaxy. The decadence began with the decline of Mongol power, the Latin penetration of the Armenian Church, and the rise of the Egyptian Mamluks, who put an end in 1375 to this "Armenia of the Levant," whose last king, of Poitevin descent, died in exile in Paris. Beyond Armenians and Armenian speakers, this book is aimed at anyone interested in the Crusades, the Mongols, medieval Islam, or Eastern Christians. Recent publications of previously unpublished sources made it necessary to revisit all aspects of this fascinating and complex period. The 84 genealogical tables and 74 maps facilitate reading, and the 228 color illustrations reflect the cosmopolitan nature of this medieval Armenian world.
The year 1045 marked the end of the last kingdom of Armenia in Greater Armenia, but far from disappearing, Armenia was paradoxically preparing to experience the most brilliant period of its history. Autonomous principalities emerged on the part of the historical territory freed from the Turkish yoke, while a process of state renaissance developed in Cilicia, opposite the island of Cyprus, culminating in 1198 in the foundation of a "kingdom of Armenia outside Armenia." There were thus two Armenias, linked in the face of the irruption in the Near East of the Franks via the Crusades in the 12th century and then of the Mongols in the 13th. With the Latin states, from which they adopted several administrative aspects, the Armenians established relations of equals where matrimonial ties held an essential place, while facing the Mongols they benefited from the experience of the princes of Greater Armenia. Through subtle, all-out diplomacy that took into account Greek, Turkish, and Arab elements, the kings of Armenia in Cilicia found themselves in the mid-13th century at the head of the most powerful Christian state in the East, a hub of trade between Europe and the East. The cultural flowering was spectacular, the kingdom adapting Frankish contributions to the Armenian mold while perpetuating its artistic traditions, while Greater Armenia was covered with superb works of architecture. From the 13th to the beginning of the 14th century, the Armenians were therefore at the center of the Eurasian galaxy. The decadence began with the decline of Mongol power, the Latin penetration of the Armenian Church, and the rise of the Egyptian Mamluks, who put an end in 1375 to this "Armenia of the Levant," whose last king, of Poitevin descent, died in exile in Paris. Beyond Armenians and Armenian speakers, this book is aimed at anyone interested in the Crusades, the Mongols, medieval Islam, or Eastern Christians. Recent publications of previously unpublished sources made it necessary to revisit all aspects of this fascinating and complex period. The 84 genealogical tables and 74 maps facilitate reading, and the 228 color illustrations reflect the cosmopolitan nature of this medieval Armenian world.