The beauty of Armenian khachkars

We had a wonderful vacation in the Caucasus last month – and I’ll be writing more about what we saw in beautiful Georgia and Armenia in the coming weeks.

But one of the beautiful objects we saw throughout Armenia were the traditional khachkars, or carved, cross-stone stele.

These khachkars are typical of medieval Armenian Christian art, the first dating back to the ninth century, and are recognized by the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The central form is always the elongated, Armenian cross, but other decorative carvings include intricate patterns of swirling leaves, grapes and pomegranates.

We saw so many excellent examples spanning the centuries during our Armenia travels – in churches, cemeteries and museums. Quite  a few excellent examples are on display at the Historical Museum in Yerevan and the “Armenian Vatican”, in Echemiadzin.

We were told there are about 40000 examples of khachkars today, some of those in Armenian churches outside of Armenia.

When you’re in Armenia, whether in museums or surrounding remote, romantic monasteries in far-flung locations, be sure to admire the stunning khachkars during your visit.