Between 14 and 18 October, 2016, the exhibition of an artist of Republic of Armenia, a member of the Unity of Artists of Armenia and Germany Anna Harutyunyan was held at the Shoe Museum of the Spanish city of Elda. One of the exhibits named “Witness of antiquity: 5,500 years” was transferred to the museum by the author and entered its collection.

“The chairperson of the local Armenian unity “Ararat” Anahit Ohanyan offered to create a painting on the topic “5,500 years old Armenian shoe”. This leather shoe was found in a cave of the Areni village, and it is now displayed in the History Museum in Yerevan. As a result, I created a painting with more than 2 meters of height,” remarked Harutyunyan.

The museum of Elda is the only shoe museum in the world keeping such rare exhibits as the shoe of the Pope, Paul the Apostle, and Hollywood stars. It has been also decided to present the museum with the painting of a shoe on behalf of Armenia.

At the opening of the exhibition were present the representatives of the city hall, the parliament, and artists. The exhibition has gathered a large number of visitors.

“The visitors have mostly been from the locals. The music of Arno Babadzhanyan played during the exhibition. It was quite nice,” added Harutyunyan. In case the Armenian paintings are sold, Harutyunan is planning to donate the earnings.

In 2008, a shoe dated at 3600-3500 BC was found in a cave in the vicinity of the Areni village, Vayots Dzor Province, Armenia. The media loudly asserted that this shoe is the oldest of its kind, but that’s not entirely true. Different shoes from throughout the world with greater age have been found prior to this discovery.

The Areni shoe has been sewn from a cutout piece of processed leather of cattle, which has been connected and tightened with laces. Interestingly, this shoe is the most ancient shoe that is more or less similar to modern produce in regards to its form and pattern.