The khachkars of Noratus

Noratus is a village near Lake Sevan, known for its medieval cemetery. According to the source, the cemetery is more than ten centuries old, and thousands of khachkars stand on its 7 hectares, the oldest of them more than 1,000 years old. Today Noratus is the largest surviving khachkar cemetery in the world.

According to legend, during Tamerlane’s invasion the villagers “dressed” the khachkars in armour and hid, and Tamerlane’s troops, taking them from afar for a great army, did not attack the village.

The photograph shows a row of reddish stone khachkars with carved crosses and ornaments, covered with lichen. Other gravestones can be seen in the background.