The Smithsonian, FarBridge, and CyArk bring ancient Armenia to your living room

Washington D.C. Today, FarBridge launches My Virtual Armenia, an application that gives users the chance to discover two Armenian historical sites, the Noravank Monastery and the Areni Cave Complex, through virtual reality. Developed in partnership with CyArk and the Smithsonian Institution, My Virtual Armenia builds on the Smithsonian’s expertise in research and curation to help preserve and share Armenia’s cultural heritage.

“We worked closely with the Smithsonian Institution and CyArk to help make the world’s cultures accessible to anyone, anywhere,” says Taylor Gates, Lead Developer at FarBridge. “We’re proud to be able to use our technology to promote world heritage at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and beyond.”

Premiering at the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, My Virtual Armenia runs on most iPhone and Android smartphones, letting users navigate and learn about the Areni-1 Cave Complex, first investigated in 2007, and the Noravank Monastery, dating back to the thirteenth century.

In the Areni Cave Complex, gain invaluable insight into the pre-history of the region and the people who lived there 6,000 years ago. Uncover burial pots, well-preserved plant remains, and the oldest leather shoe ever discovered. You’ll even find a wine press and other winemaking technology, making it one of the oldest known locations associated with winemaking.

In its heyday, the Noravank Monastery was the spiritual pulse of the region and residence of the Orbelian princes. Other notable residents include the Armenian architect Iranes and the famed miniature painter and sculptor, Momik. Many of the original khachkars, carved Armenian cross stones, were designed by Momik himself.

“Visiting new places, meeting new people, and learning about other cultures is always an inspiring experience, giving us new appreciation for our place in the world,” said Patrick Curry, CEO of FarBridge. “We founded FarBridge to bring these experiences to as many people as possible, and it’s an honor to work with the Smithsonian and CyArk to support their important missions of preserving and sharing culture, heritage, and knowledge.”

The app will be available for download at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and http://farbridge.co/mva/

For updates please visit Facebook and Twitter. For more information about FarBridge, visit http://farbridge.com/ and check out https://folklife.si.edu/ to attend the festival.

ABOUT FARBRIDGE

FarBridge is the leading developer for educational virtual reality and augmented reality software. Their proprietary technology cuts down on the creation and iteration time needed to deploy VR/AR content to a wide number of devices and audiences. Immersive technology lets people see, hear, and experience our world in all new ways, and even transport them to amazing other worlds we haven’t yet discovered or dreamed up. FarBridge is powering these new experiences with an eye to the future.

For media inquires, please contact press@farbridge.com

Published June 28, 2018

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