The Armenian-Mamluk conflict, that lasted almost 115 years, was ac­com­panied not only by invasions and military operations, but also by active dip­lomatic communications and official correspondence, bilateral diplomatic mis­sions, political mediations, and intricate negotiations on ceasefire and peace, on exchange of prisoners of war and transit trade. It is no wonder that there are so many mentions of Armenian diplomatic missions and envoys visiting the Mam­luk court in Arabic historical sources of the 13th-16th centuries: in one case, there is a reference to the readiness of the Armenian king to mediate between the Mongol ilkhan and the Mamluk sultan. There are also notes about ne­go­tiations over the latter's territorial claims, the release of Armenian nobles kept in captivity, and many other issues.

The central focus of this study is on the information preserved in medieval primary sources about the exchange of diplomatic gifts and presents in political relations between the ruling authorities of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and Syria and Cilician Armenia. It is noteworthy that, as in the case of diplomatic correspondence, the historical evidence contained in Armenian sources on gifts sent by Armenian sovereigns to Mamluk sultans is very scarce. Therefore, the main source of information on the gift exchanges between rulers of the two states are the Mamluk sources. The reports of Muslim chroniclers on diplomatic gifts sometimes contain interesting facts about originality of the Armenian medieval material culture. The most valuable testimonies preserved in Arabic primary sources regarding the Mamluk protocol of gift-giving and the use of gifts in key episodes of the Armenian-Mamluk relations are presented. The reports of the Armenian and Mamluk authors are discussed in chronological order and are provided with appropriate historical commentary