International Conference on “Astronomical Heritage of the Middle East” is devoted to the role of astronomy in culture and other fields of human activity and development of these fields due to the knowledge obtained from the Universe. In modern era, astronomy is probably the field of science, which plays a leading role in the formation and development of inter- and multi- disciplinary sciences. For a long time, the Astrophysics has reached high level of development, recently new science disciplines have been created, such as Astrochemistry, Astrobiology, Astroinformatics, Astrolinguistics. Archaeoastronomy plays an important role in culture and in the heritage of nations, chronologies and calendars created on the basis of astronomical knowledge, etc. Cultural Astronomy also plays an important role in the development of scientific tourism and scientific journalism. The meeting is aimed at the development of problems of astronomy-related interdisciplinary sciences in the countries of European and Asian regions and preparation of a basis for further possible collaborations by means of presentations of available modern knowledge in various areas of culture by experts from different professions and by joint discussions.

   

The history of Astronomy in Armenia goes back to very old ages. Since ancient times Armenians accumulated astronomical knowledge and have left this heritage in the forms of rock art, ancient observatories, calendars and chronology, records of astronomical events, medieval sky maps, astronomical terms in the language, etc. Nowadays Armenia is one of the developed countries in astronomical sense as well, though by its economic level Armenia is among the developing countries, and it is situated in a region (Middle East) where efforts are needed to develop and promote cultural astronomy. The famous Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) founded in 1946 made a significant contribution in the fields of research of non-stable phenomena and evolutionary processes in the Universe.