Mkhitar Gosh

Portrait of Mkhitar Gosh from Goshavank

Medal of Mkhitar Gosh awarded by Republic of Armenia

Mkhitar Gosh (Armenian: Մխիթար Գոշ) (1130–1213) was an Armenian scholar, writer, public figure, thinker, and priest. He was born in the city of Gandzak. He got his early education from public institutions. When he reached his adolescence he decided to dedicate his life to church. In order to learn theology more thoroughly, Gosh traveled to Cilicia, to Black Mountains (Սև լեռներ) and studies theology under the local priests. Upon his return, he, with Zackareh and Ivaneh Zakarian princes' financial help, builds the Ghetik (Գետիկ) church. He wrote a code of laws including civil and Canon law that was used in both Greater Armenia and Cilicia. It was also used in Poland, by order of king Sigismund the Old, as the law under which the Armenians of Lviv and Kamianets-Podilskyi lived from 1519 until the region fell under Austrian rule in 1772. He also wrote a number of popular fables. He founded the monastery of Nor-Getik which he was later buried. Ever since his death it has better become known as Goshavank. The works of Mkhitar Gosh were later adapted into a Datastanagirk' codex in Middle Armenian, which was prepared by Sempad the Constable, an Armenian noble, military commander, and judge in the 13th century.^[1]

Notes

1. ^ "Smbat Sparapet." Dictionary of the Middle Ages

External links

• English translations of Gosh's Fables and his Colophon are available at: http://rbedrosian.com/hsrces.html
• Grave of Mkhitar Gosh

Persondata
Name	Gosh, Mkhitar
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1130
Place of birth
Date of death	1213
Place of death