Martiros Kavoukjian was born in Nigde, Turkey on August 8, 1908. His family soon moved to Mosul, Iraq.[1][2] Kavoukjian graduated from the American University of Beirut in 1934 majoring in Architectural engineering, then worked as the chief municipal architect of Mosul, Iraq during the period from 1941 to 1947.[1][2] In Iraq, he designed and built both governmental and residential buildings.[1][2] Kavoukjian immigrated to Armenia in 1947, and in 1947-1979, he played a key role within the "Great Rebuilding Project" of Armenia as the chief architect, building numerous federal, public, industrial, and residential buildings.[1][2] In 1973, his "The Origin of the Names Armen and Hye and Urartu" was published in Beirut.[1][2]