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A khachkar (also spelled as khatchkar) or Armenian cross-stone (, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, interlaces, and botanical motifs.Thierry, cover sleeve. Khachkars are characteristic of medieval Christianity Armenian art.The Grove Encyclopedia of Medieval Art and Architecture. — Oxford University Press, 2012. — Vol. 2. — P. 222. "'Khatck'ar' Armen.:'cross-stone' Typical Armenian stone monument, comprising an upright slab (h. c. 1—3 m) carved with a cross design, usually set on a plinth or rectangular base. "Gough M., The Origins of Christian Art, London, 1973
Since 2010, khachkars, their symbolism and craftsmanship are inscribed in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Most early khachkars were erected for the salvation of the soul of either a living or a deceased person. Otherwise they were intended to commemorate a military victory, the construction of a church, or as a form of protection from natural disasters."Armenian Khatchkars" (Editions Erebuni, 1978)
The most common location for early khachkars was in a graveyard. However, Armenian gravestones take many other forms, and only a minority are khachkars.
About 40,000 khachkars survive today. Most of them are free standing, though those recording donations are usually built into monastery walls. The following three khachkars are believed to be the finest examples of the art form:
A number of good examples have been transferred to the Historical Museum in Yerevan and beside the cathedral in Echmiadzin. The largest surviving collection of khachkars is in Armenia, at Noraduz cemetery on the western shore of the Lake Sevan, where an old graveyard with around 900 khachkars from various periods and of various styles can be seen. The largest number was formerly located at the Armenian cemetery in Julfa in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, which contained approximately 10,000 khachkars in 1648. The number of khachkars dwindled over time through destruction of various causes until the only 2,700 khachkars remained in 1998," Armenian intellectuals blast 'barbaric' destruction of Nakhchivan monuments." BBC News in BBC Monitoring Central Asia. February 13, 2003. Retrieved April 16, 2007 when the Azerbaijani government embarked on a systematic campaign destroying and leveling the entire medieval cemetery between 1998 and 2005.
There are hundreds of khachkars worldwide, many of which are memorials to commemorate the victims of the Armenian genocide. Khachkars have been placed in various locations, including at the Vatican Museums, Canterbury Cathedral's memorial garden, St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, Colorado State Capitol, Temple of Peace, Cardiff, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, and elsewhere.
According to one count, there are nearly 30 khachkars on public locations in France. Some 20 khachkars are located in Poland, which is home to an important Armenian community since the Late Middle Ages.
Armenian khachkars have been acquired or donated to many museums or temporarily represented at significant exhibitions all around the world such as at the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Special Exhibition of the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan. British Museum Collection
One source says that khachkars are being damaged, neglected, or moved in Armenia. Reasons cited for moving these khachkars include; decoration, to create new holy places, or to make space for new burials.
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