A rare 12th-century wooden door panel from an Armenian church, carved in 1188, has been purchased with Armenian state funds at an international auction in London and will soon be transported to Armenia, where it will be housed in the History Museum of Armenia, Education and Culture Minister Zhanna Andreasyan announced.

Andreasyan described the piece as an exceptional example of medieval Armenian woodcarving, reflecting the traditions of the Bagratuni era. Only eight similar samples were previously known worldwide.

The artifact was tracked and acquired as part of the ministry’s ongoing cultural policy to reclaim Armenian heritage items. The government restored a special museum acquisition budget that allowed the ministry to purchase the item for 175 million AMD (approx. $435,000) from a private collection where it had been kept for decades—initially surfacing on the international market in the late 1980s.

The artifact’s authenticity has been scientifically verified through radiocarbon testing and confirmed by academic publications. Armenian experts were also sent to conduct in-person evaluations.

Andreasyan added that a special exhibition will be organized, and collaborations are being planned with Berlin museums and Greece’s Acropolis Museum to promote Armenian heritage.