Chair of Turkology

The Turkish language has been taught at the Yerevan State University since 1943, with the direct initiative and organization of the prominent linguist, orientalist Hrachya Acharyan. The first teacher of Turkish language was Minas Minasyan. In 1991, The Chair of Turkic Studies was founded based on the Chair of Arabic and Turkish Philology at the university, the founder and head of which was Ph.D., Professor Mary Kochar.

Distinguished orientalists E. Sargsyan, J. Kirakosyan, H. Martirosyan, A. Minasyan, Kh. Amiryan, academician of RA NAS, Professor R. Safrastyan, and correspondent member of RA NAS, Professor A. Kharatyan taught at the Chair.

In 2010, The Chair of Turkic Studies was reorganized into the Chair of Turkology, the head of which is Ph.D., Professor Alexander Safaryan.

Now, the Turkish, Ottoman, Azeri, Kazakh, and Turkmen languages as well as the literature, culture, and history of Turkic peoples are taught in the Chair of Turkology. For the first time in Armenian reality, highly qualified specialists were trained in the Chair in the fields of "The Turkish language", "Turkish literature" and "History of Turkey", and the first Turkish language textbook written in Armenian was created. It is currently used not only in Armenia but also in all higher and secondary educational institutions in the Diaspora where Turkish is taught. The professors of the Chair also published the first Armenian university textbooks of Turkish literature, Turkish history, and the Azerbaijani and Ottoman languages.

Leading specialists of the Republic, who regularly undergo professional training both in Armenia and abroad, are involved in international and local grant programs and carry out close cooperation with foreign universities and famous specialists in Turkic studies and related fields, teach at the Chair. The scientist-pedagogues are the authors of educational manuals, monographs, school textbooks, scientific, and articles, which are also published in periodicals with a high impact factor.

The Chair of Turkology implements the "Turkic Studies" (Undergraduate) and "Turkish Historiography" (Master's) educational programs.