Page 128 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

Rich Spirituality 129

Cross-Stone
The cross-stone (xač‘k‘ar) has iconic sig-
nificance for the spiritual culture of the Ar-
menian Church. The cross-stone or khach-
kar, which originated in the 5th Century, is a
big cross carved at the center of a stone, and
is generally surrounded by grapes, leaves,
biblical figures, events, saints, and angels.
Although frescoes are not common in
the Armenian Church, there is a beautiful
example of them in Akhtamar at the Holy
Cross church (10th C.).
Khachkars, which are prepared when a
new church is built, as protection from
disasters, or in memory of a deceased person,
are a symbol of spiritual power, providing
healing and liberation. Roughly, more than
40,000 khachkars have survived. They are
found in Armenia, Cilicia (mostly destroyed),
in Tabriz and Isfahan (Iran), as well as in
Nakhichevan (Azerbeijan), where many were
recently destroyed. Some ancient khachkars
are displayed in museums in Europe and the
United States. The most elaborate khachkars
were made in the 13th Century. Their de-
velopment and use rose sharply during the
20th Century. In 2010, UNESCO incorporated
the khachkar into its Representative List of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Huma-
nity.