Buddhism[a] is a minor religion in Armenia, with a small but unknown number of adherents.[1] The first direct contacts of Armenians with Buddhism occurred in the 13th century during the height of the Mongol Empire, culminating in the foundation of a Buddhist monastery in Armenia by the Buddhist emperor Hulegu Khan of the Ilkhanate after his conquest of Armenia when Buddhism was declared as an official religion.[2] Contacts recurred elsewhere in subsequent centuries through Armenian merchants. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Armenian intellectuals developed a strong interest in the religion.
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- ^ "Buddhism by the Numbers: Armenia". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Spring 2021. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023.
- ^ Vaziri, Mostafa (2012). "Buddhism during the Mongol Period in Iran". Buddhism in Iran: An Anthropological Approach to Traces and Influences. Palgrave Macmillan US. pp. 111–131. doi:10.1057/9781137022943_7. ISBN 9781137022943.