What is Noraduz cemetery?
[[Image:Noraduz Tombstone.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Noraduz Khachkars]] '''Noraduz cemetery''' ({{lang-hy|Նորադուզի գերեզմանատուն}}) is a medieval cemetery with many ancient [[khachkar]]s in the village of [[Noraduz]], [[Gegharkunik]] [[marz]] near [[Gavar]] and [[Lake Sevan]], 90 km north of [[Yerevan]]. Many tombstones in the cemetery show carved scenes of weddings and farm life. ==Khachkars== The oldest khachkars in the cemetery go back to the late 10th century. During the revival of the khachkar tradition in the 16-17th centuries many khachkars were built under the yoke of the [[Safavid Empire]] when oriental influences seeped into Armenian art. Three master carvers from this period carved khachkars in Noraduz, the most notable of whom was Kiram Kazmogh (1551-1610), his contemporaries were Arakel and Meliset. ==Folklore== A popular folktale involving the cemetery concerns the invading army of [[Tamerlane]]. According to one story the villagers placed helmets on top of the khachkars and leaned swords against them. From a distance the khachkars looked like armed soldiers holding a defensive position as a result of which Tamerlane’s army retreated. ==Related pages== *[[Khachkar]] == Other websites == *[http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Noratus_Cemetery Noratus Cemetery at ArmeniaPedia.org] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Armenia]] [[Category:Cemeteries]] [[Category:10th-century buildings and structures]]