HISTORICAL BUILDINGS
KANAKER CENTRAL CEMETERY
XIII-XVIII centuries
State index: 1.12.1
It
is located on the left side of Zakaria Sarkavag Street (former Kamo’s Street,
the old highway leading to Sevan). Initially, it was quite spacious, but then
was destroyed during the construction of the highway. Now it occupies a small
area (21 square meters)․ In the 1960s by the preservation purpose it was
surrounded by retaining walls, metal fence, it was improved and paved.
There are 9 tombstones, 1 high gravestone, 9 khachkars of the XIV-XVII centuries (part of them have inscriptions) and famous khachkar of Petevan from 1256. Here are khachkars of Naknah Pasha and Melik (1543), Norjevan (1558), Avag Khatun and Aslizat (1597), Galust, Janik and Mkrtich (XVI century), Khachatur and their parents (XVI century), as well as the khachkar of the stone-cutter Herapet (Hayrapet) who created it in the XVI century, etc.
Most
of the khachkars are lined up under the northern and eastern walls. In XI-XII
centuries two khachkars were brought from another place (Avan or Arinj).
From the artistic and historical point of view, the khachkar on the western side of the area is of great interest, which according to the large inscription was installed by Petevan and his wife, the Avagtikin, in order to immortalize the memory of themselves and their relatives. The inscription was engraved by a certain Mkhitarich. The sculptural stone with its pedestal is placed in a wall niche under the double-slopped roof paved with stones.
The
inscription is engraved on an acclivous part bordering the niche. Another
inscription (1266) of the same Mkhitarich on the purchase and sale is engraved
on the southern façade of the
wall. In its sense, it is a contract of the commercial transaction validated by
witnesses by which the owner Parsis and his relatives sold their native garden
to Petevan. There are also short inscriptions made at different times on the
partition.
Khachkar
is made of red tuff. The wall and floor dimensions are 272 x 160 cm, the khackar’s
dimensions are 170 x 106 cm. It stands out for the complexity of the
composition, the delicacy of the ornaments and the great skill of realization.
“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO
Yerevan Municipality
