The silver commemorative coin with nominal value of 100 drams issued by the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia is dedicated to the 1400-th anniversary of Anania Shirakatsi. Anania Shirakatsi was born in Shiraki Aneanq or Shirakavan village. A 7th century Armenian philosopher, mathematician, astrologer, calendar man, founder of exact sciences and natural sciences in Armenia. Anania Shirakatsi's scientific heritage witnesses to the absolute depth and independence of his vision.

Anania Shirakatsi (Armenian: Անանիա Շիրակացի, also known as Ananias of Shirak; 610 – 685) was an Armenian mathematician, astronomer and geographer. His most famous works are Geography ("Ashkharatsuyts" in Armenian), and Cosmography (Tiezeragitutiun).

Scholars are split on where exactly Anania was born. According to some historians, he was born in Shirakavan, whereas others maintain that the village of Anania in Shirak or the city of Ani were his birthplaces. Unlike many other notable figures, Anania did leave behind an autobiography. He was the son of John (Hovhannes) of Shirak and possibly a member of the noble Kamsarakan or Arsharuni princes of the region. It is believed that he received his primary education at a school named Dprevank and from a very early age, he found himself attracted to mathematics. He left Armenia and traveled abroad for eleven years in the hopes of getting a better education.

Upon the recommendation of several of his friends who were returning from Constantinople, he decided to find a suitable teacher in Trebizond in the Byzantine Empire. There he met and fell under the tutelage of a renowned Greek scholar who spoke Armenian, Tychikos, and spent eight years learning mathematics there. Anania profited greatly from his mentor's teachings, as evidenced from the writings in his autobiography, "[I] acquired a perfect knowledge of mathematics. In addition, I also learned a few elements of other sciences."[5] He left Byzantium and returned to his homeland in 651, determined to spread his knowledge among his fellow Armenians, opening a school that taught the quadrivium and authoring textbooks to educate his students.