Greetings from Armenia
Khachkars
A khachkar is a freestanding upright stone slab, characteristic of medieval Christian Armenian art. The word comes from the Armenian khach (cross) and kar (stone).The stones stand between one to three meters tall. Each features a central carved cross which often sits on top of a rosette or solar disc, representing the wheel of eternity. The rest of the stone face is densely packed with elaborate, lace-like patterns which can include leaves, grapes, and pomegranates (symbols of the Tree of Life); geometric interlaces which to me echo some Celtic designs; and occasionally relief carvings of biblical figures, saints, or animals.
But here’s the amazing fact! Among more than 50,000 surviving khachkars in the world, no two are identical. Each master craftsman, known as a varpet, carved an entirely unique pattern.
I’ll have many more examples to share when I write in detail about the monasteries we visited in Armenia. Here are just two. The header image is from Goshavank Monastery and the example on the left from Hagartsin Monastery.
