One of the most
interesting sites in Armenia has got to be the Noratus cemetery located in the
Gegharkunik Province near Lake Sevan. This
area has a lot of history with numerous Bronze and Iron Age monuments. What makes this site so unique is that it has
the highest concentration of khachkars (cross stones) and gravestones carved
between the 9th-17th century in Armenia and the world. There are nearly 900 khachkars here and you
can see the how the styles of khachkars have changed throughout Armenia’s
history. Although it’s a cemetery, it’s
also a museum for these stunning pieces of Armenian craftsmanship. The highest concentration of khachkars was at the city of Jugha in the Nagorno Karabagh region with over 2,500 khachkars but they were destroyed
in the 90s during conflict with Azerbaijan.
Khachkars have a
special place in Armenian culture since it’s the only Christian nation that
erects these types of monuments for their faith. They come in numerous sizes and shapes, are
made various types of stones, and the patterns used are a true work of art. I’ve had the good fortune to meet khachkar
makers while living in Armenia and to see them in action is a great experience
to witness.
Noratus is near
the city of Gavar and is a little more than an hour drive from Yerevan. The elevation is slightly higher up here so
it’s considerably cooler here. There is
no fee to enter but there are stands across from Noratus ran by some old ladies
who will get mad if you don’t buy any of their souvenirs or snacks. They also have the information cards in
various languages in case you want to do the formal walking tour.
One of the first
things you notice on the walking tour is that many of the signs are missing
from the posts. The local rumor is that
the local kids purposely removed the signs so they could be hired as tour
guides. Don’t let that stop you because
you can walk around freely and admire the craftsmanship and details
regardless. The khachkars are in their
original positions facing west so if you want to take good pictures it’s best
to go in the afternoon so you don’t have any shadows. This place is really big so be strategic in
how you want to go. From the main
entrance I went westwards so I could the panoramic view of the entire
cemetery. I had my drone with me so I
was able to get some great shots of Noratus in its entirety. The newer cemetery with newer headstones and
other monuments surrounds the old cemetery with the vintage khachkars. It’s a great contrast to see how the styles
have changed and what remained. You need
not worry about any social etiquette here because a flock of sheep were walking
on by and grazing. Wearing shorts and
shoes in here won’t be an issue at all.
Once you’ve seen
the bulk of the various khackars make your way east and heads towards a humble
chapel about a kilometer away. You can
easily see it in the distance and there’s only one dirt road that will take you
there. It’s small and humble but also
surrounded by about 25 khachkars surrounding it. It also has a great view of Lake Sevan
too. There’s even a picnic area too to
enjoy the scenery.
There is also a
very interesting legend about the Noratus Cemetery. This one describes the invasion of Mongol
Tatars against the Armenian Prince Gegham.
Lacking in a large number of soldiers against an overwhelming force the
Prince ordered his subjects to put coats and uniforms on the khachkars to make
his troops seem larger from a distance.
The deception worked and the enemy forces retreated and allowed the
Prince’s troop to attack and eventually defeat the retreating forces.
To visit Noratus
all you need is about an hour and a half.
It’s a great stop if you’re on your way to Lake Sevan. There are other sites around Lake Sevan to
see like Sevanavank Monastery, Hayravank Monastery, and Vanevank Monastery
too.
Happy traveling…
