[ad_1]
news.am: One of Forbes India’s recently published articles presents the culture and heritage of Armenia. This was announced by the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Armenia to NEWS.am.
This article states: By diving into the rich Armenian culture, you will witness the carvings of ancient khachkars. Clad in volcanic tuff and basalt, Armenia’s pastoral architecture eschews the traditional cruciform design that echoes Mount Ararat. Within their walls, an artistic tapestry of frescoes and intricate stone carvings narrate biblical stories unfolds.
In a world where religion has often been a source of conflict, Armenia took a new progressive approach and was the first country to officially accept Christianity in AD. In 301 they did not rely on fiery sermons or great temples to spread the word. Instead, they turned to art and created a unique form of religious expression: khachkar. Time seems to stand still in Armenia with 50,000 khachkars inscribed on their surfaces with Celtic crosses, inscriptions, interlaced lace, botanical motifs and biblical images.
Armenian historian, archaeologist and anthropologist Hamlet Petrosian reveals. The erection of the cross stones began in the middle of the 9th century, when the Bagratoni dynasty gained political independence. The cross was an open-air monument, and if the territory was not yours, the Arabs strictly prohibited its use, and only with the wave of independence, the installation of the stone cross began. Until the 9th century, there were khachkars on various churches, on the apse of the churches, on their windows and on their pavements, and usually the early Christian buildings ended with winged crosses, but they were not khachkars, the khachkar is a board. Specifically intended only for the cross to form.
These khachkars, which were declared “intangible cultural heritage” by UNESCO in 2010, inspired by the art of obelisk carving, have shown their presence in Armenian landscapes for centuries.
Cross stones are carved on a variety of stones, from natural black stone to reddish tuff and basalt. Ruben Kazarian, a stonemason who practiced his craft in the 13th century in Nuravank, works with the soft, felsitic stone synonymous with the famous medieval master architect Momik. Meanwhile, another old cross maker, Bogdan Hovanisyan, preserves the centuries-old tradition of stone carving of crosses in his workshop in Venadzor, carving on gypsum stone.
Babik Vardanian, a 42-year-old stonemason, says: “My father started khachkarsazi in the 70s.” It was during the Soviet period that Christianity was banned and most of the churches were closed. I started making khachkars, which were mostly ordered as tombstones. In the last 20 years, I have built more than 200 khachkars, each of which is unique and has its own distinct history.
The priests equated the cross with a benevolent tree that sheltered the whole world. Inspired by this metaphor, artisans with their skillful hands turned these divine symbols into lasting stone sculptures, while gilders brought them to life on the pages of scriptures with their artistic flair. The deep-rooted concept of the world as a garden, long rooted in the Armenian psyche, found a new home in the Christian cross, originally confined to a rigid square, transforming heaven into the tree of life.
[ad_2]
Source link
