Vaհe H Apelian
Armenia's government decided to change the entry stamp on September 11, 2025. The new design took effect on November 1, 2025. The change removed the image of Mount Ararat, replacing it with a simplified design featuring essential border crossing data.
A lot was and is being commented on the government’s decision, sentimentalizing and politicizing the issue, with an holier than thou posture. But the fact of the matter was that depicting Mount Ararat on any Armenian government issued stamp or document without Noah's Ark was simply unconstitutional.
On July 5, 1995, the citizens of Armenia first adopted a constitution for Armenia by a nationwide referendum. The president of the country was Levon Ter-Petrosyan (November 11, 1991, to February 3, 1998.).
The article 13 of the 1995 Constitution, read in part as follows: “The coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia depicts, in the center on a shield, Mount Ararat with Noah's ark……”
On November 27, 2005, the constitution was amended by a nationwide referendum. The president of the Armenia was Robert Kocharyan (April 9, 1998 to March 2003).
The article 13 of the 2005 Constitution, reads in part as follows: “The coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia: in the center, a shield with the representation of Mount Ararat with Noah’s Ark…..”
On December 6, 2015, the constitution was amended again that changed the political structure of Armenia from presidential system to a parliamentary system. The president of the country was Serzh Sargsyan (from April 9, 2008, to April 9, 2018).
The article 21 of the 2015 Constitution, reads in part as follows: “The coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia shall depict, in the center on a shield, Mount Ararat with Noah’s ark…..”
From its inception, the Constitution of Armenia carried the same wordings for depicting Mount Ararat on its coat-of-arms, with Noah’s Ark. At no time has the constitution made reference to Mount Ararat without Noah’s Ark. Understandably Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat makes for an awkward graphical presentation.
I believe that the framers of the Armenian Constitution made that depiction deliberately for an understandable reason. Depicting Mount Ararat as a real estate, may come across infringing on the territorial sovereignty of Turkey. Mount Ararat is in Turkey and has an awkward name, Agri Dagh.
According to our traditional if not mythical lineage, Mount Ararat with Noah’s Ark very much symbolizes our history at the foot of the biblical mountain. In the genealogy compiled by Movses Khorenatsi we trace our lineage from Noah through his son Hapet (Japheth), to Japheth's son Gomer, and Gomer’s son - Noah’s great grandson Togarma -, and finally to Hayk, our legendary patriarch. We do refer to ourselves belonging to the House of Torgoma (Torkomadoun).
The uproar over the removal of that depiction of Mount Ararat from the entry stamp, is political. It is a. tempest in a tea pot strangely by the LTP-Kocharyan-Sargsyan factions, even though they are led by the former presidents under whose watch the Constitution of Armenia was drafted, adopted and amended, not once but twice, with the wording for depicting Mount Ararat remaining the same, always with Noah's Ark on it.
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