Historic Noratus full of countless khachkars
Noratus is a historic village just a few kilometres from the town of Gavar. The nearby Bronze Age fortress indicates that Noratus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in Armenia. There is a large number of medieval monuments in and around the village, such as st. Astvacacain Church. The city's cemetery is a mysterious place full of ancient khachkars and tombstones. A khachkar is a traditional memorial and a symbol of the Armenian culture. It is a standing engraved stone where the cross is central, decorated with rosettes, braiding and plant motifs such as leaves, pomegranates and grapes. With more than a thousand Armenian memorials, Noratus is armenia's largest surviving khachkar cemetery.
To this day, khachkars are still made. Worldwide they can be found in various locations, such as the Vatican Museums and St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, to commemorate victims of the Armenian genocide. The memorials have also been donated to many museums including the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.