In the territory of historical Armenia there are plenty of architectural monuments which are either in total ruins or on the brink of destruction. It is our duty to rescue and preserve these architectural treasures by documentation and archiving; to ensure their place in history and be of great political significance in the future. For this purpose, RAA organizes expeditions to locate these monuments, conducts measurement surveys and takes photographs. This is an urgent and critical effort in preserving the Armenian heritage and its monuments for now and for generations to come.
Despite the turbulent political situation in Turkey, RAA continues its unwavering commitment for its mission and through expeditions to rescue Armenian national treasures before they are leveled to the ground. Since 1975-76, RAA scientists and monument experts have performed research work in Azerbaijan and Nakhijevan despite anti-Armenian sentiments in these regions. The tragic events in Sumgait proved once again that these activities are priceless in both cultural and political aspects.
The preparation of necessary travel guides, ethnographic memoirs and references, well-drawn and accurate geographical maps, including the exact locations of Armenian monuments require thousands of professional manhours. These are especially important since Turkey has intentionally changed the original names of towns and monuments during the last 100 years to create confusion and to hide the history of those monuments.
In furtherance of its goals, RAA is in constant search of finding appropriate individuals who are familiar with Armenian architecture to identify and document Armenian monuments. These people must work under dangerous circumstances in Turkey, sometimes even risking their lives. Naturally, it is not easy to find the necessary manpower ready to take the risk without even being compensated. RAA welcomes all individuals with true dedication and commitment who are ready to serve this great cause.
After the completion of each expedition, the photographs are kept in archives along with measurement surveys of those structures.