Circular bronze medal with loop for ribbon suspension; the face with the helmeted head of Vartan Mamikonian facing right and an inscription written in the Armenian alphabet; the reverse with a circular geometric design within a geometric border, an upright sword imposed; on what is probably the original ribbon. Saint Vartan Mamikonian, is revered as one of the greatest military and spiritual leaders of ancient Armenia. After he became Sparapet in 432, the Persians summoned him to Ctesiphon, forcing him to convert to Zoroastrianism. Upon his return to home in 450, Vartan repudiated the Persian religion and instigated a great Armenian rebellion against their Sassanian overlords. Although he died in the Battle of Vartanantz (451), the insurrection led to the restoration of Armenian autonomy, thus guaranteeing the survival of Armenian statehood in later centuries. This medal was probably created and awarded at the time of Armenian insurrection against Ottoman Turkish rule in the late 19th or very early 20th Century.
|