The Armenian eternity sign ( hy, Յաւերժութեան Նշան, haverzhut’yan nshan) or Arevakhach (, "Sun Cross") is an ancient

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...

national symbol A national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and manifesting itself to the world as a national community: the sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, federal integration, or even an e ...

and a symbol of the

national identity National identity is a person's identity or sense of belonging to one or more states or to one or more nations. It is the sense of "a nation as a cohesive whole, as represented by distinctive traditions, culture, and language". National identity ...

of the

Armenian people Armenians ( hy, հայեր, '' hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...

. It is one of the most common symbols in

Armenian architecture Armenian architecture comprises architectural works with an aesthetic or historical connection to the Armenian people. It is difficult to situate this architectural style within precise geographical or chronological limits, but many of its monume ...

,Jacob G. Ghazarian (2006),
The Mediterranean legacy in early Celtic Christianity: a journey from Armenia to Ireland
', Bennett & Bloom, pp. 263, p. 171 "... Quite a different version of the Celtic triskelion, and perhaps the most common pre-Christian symbolism found throughout Armenian cultural tradition, is the round clockwise (occasionally counter-clockwise) whirling sun-like spiral fixed at a centre—the Armenian symbol of eternity."K. B. Mehr, M. Markow, ''Mormon Missionaries enter Eastern Europe'', Brigham Young University Press, 2002, pp. 399, p. 252 "... She viewed a tall building with spires and circular windows along the top of the walls. It was engraved with sun stones, a typical symbol of eternity in ancient Armenian architecture." carved on ''

khachkar A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, in ...

s'' and on walls of

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...

es.

Evolution and use

In medieval Armenian culture, the eternity sign symbolized the concept of everlasting, celestial life. Since the 5th century, it appeared on Armenian

stele A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek language, Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ...

s; later it became part of ''

'' symbolism.N. Sahakyan/ Armenian Highland: / RAU Press. 2006, page 150(349) Around the 8th century the use of the Armenian symbol of eternity had become a long established national iconographical practice, and it has kept its meaning in modern times. Besides being one of the main components of ''khachkars'', it can be found on church walls, tomb stones and other architectural monuments.G. Karakhanyan
«Medieval domesstic reliefs of Armenia»
, The journal of social sciences, №8, Yerevan, 1975, pp. 31–47 Notable churches with the eternity sign include the

Mashtots Hayrapet Church of Garni Mashtots Hayrapet ( hy, Մաշտոց Հայրապետ եկեղեցի; also Pok'r meaning "Little") is a church located within the village of Garni in the Kotayk Province of Armenia. It was built in the 12th century at the site of what was a pagan ...

Horomayr Monastery Horomayr Monastery ( hy, Հոռոմայրի վանք) is a monastic complex in the Lori Province of Armenia. The monastery is built on the cliffs 1 km south of the village of Odzun. It is easiest to get to Odzun from Alaverdi via the town' ...

Nor Varagavank Nor Varagavank () is a 13th-century Armenian Apostolic Church monastic ensemble situated 3.5 km southwest of the village Varagavan in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The monastery is situated upon a high hill and is surrounded by forested mo ...

, Tsitsernavank Monastery. An identical symbol appears in the reliefs of the

Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital ( tr, Divriği Ulu Cami ve Darüşşifası) is a mosque and hospital complex built in 1228–1229 by the local dynasty of the Mengujekids in the small Anatolian town of Divriği, now in Sivas Province, Turkey. ...

, and is likely a borrowing from earlier Armenian churches of the area. It can also be found on

Armenian manuscript Armenian illuminated manuscripts ( hy, Հայկական մանրանկարչություն, translit=Haykakan manrankarch'owt'yown), form an Armenian tradition of formally prepared documents where the text is often supplemented with flourishes suc ...

s. The eternity sign is used on the logos of government agencies and on

commemorative coin Commemorative coins are coins issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Many coins of this category serve as collectors items only, although some countries ...

s, as well as Armenian government agencies and non-government organizations and institutions in Armenia and the

Armenian diaspora The Armenian diaspora refers to the communities of Armenians outside Armenia and other locations where Armenians are considered an indigenous population. Since antiquity, Armenians have established communities in many regions throughout the world. ...

.National Council of Western Armenia
the flag of Western Armenia
2011 The symbol is also used by Armenian neopagan organizations and their followers. It is called by them "Arevakhach" (, "sun cross").

ArmSCII and UNICODE

Right-Facing and Left Facing Armenian Eternity Sign

In ArmSCII, Armenian Standard Code for Information Interchange, an Armenian eternity sign has been encoded in 7-bit and 8-bit standard and ad hoc encodings since at least 1987. In 2010 the Armenian National Institute of Standards suggested encoding an Armenian Eternity sign in the

Unicode Unicode, formally The Unicode Standard,The formal version reference is is an information technology standard for the consistent encoding, representation, and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems. The standard, ...

character set, and both right-facing and left-facing Armenian eternity signs were included in Unicode version 7.0 when it was released in June 2014.

Gallery

;Churches File:Jerevan - Armenië (2892533612).jpg, Saint Hripsime Church,

Vagharshapat Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is c ...

(7th century) File:AH - Harichvank, 21, Armenia.jpg, 5-arched eternity sign on the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God, Harichavank Monastery, near

Artik Artik (Armenian: ), is a town and urban municipal community in the Shirak Province of Armenia. As of the 2011 census, the town had a population of 19,534. As per the 2016 official estimate, the population of Artik is around 18,800. Artik is famou ...

(13th-century) File:Arevakhach Makaravank.JPG,

Makaravank Makaravank () is a 10th-13th century church complex near the Achajur village of Tavush Province, Armenia, located on the slope of Paitatap Mountain. Though the monastery is no longer used for services, the complex is well preserved. There are 4 ...

, near

Achajur Achajur ( hy, Աչաջուր) is a village in the Tavush Province of Armenia. The 10th-13th century Makaravank Makaravank () is a 10th-13th century church complex near the Achajur village of Tavush Province, Armenia, located on the slope of Pai ...

(10th century) File:WhiteMonasteryEastDome.jpg, 18 eternity signs on Armenian fresco of the Coptic White Monastery in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

, 12th century File:Gandzasar_Monastery_Nagorno_Karabakh_12_c_decoration.jpg, Gandzasar monastery, 13th century File:Գեղարդ վանական համալիր174.JPG,

Geghard Geghard ( hy, Գեղարդ, meaning "spear") is a medieval monastery in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with enhanced protec ...

, 13th century File:AH - Teghenyats Monastery, Eternity sign, Armenia.jpg, Decor of Teghenyats Monastery File:Gospel by Stepanos, 1201, Ms. 10359, mtd-gr-03-l.jpg, Miniature in Gospel by Stepanos, 1201 File:Hovsian1316.jpg,

Illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, th ...

by Hovsian, 1316 File:The_marble_tombstone_of_grand_prince_Hasan_Jalal_Vahtangian_part.jpg, Grand prince Hasan Jalal Vahtangian, 1214-1261 File:Հրեաների գերեզման 13-րդ դար, Եղեգիս10.JPG,

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

cemetery in

Yeghegis Yeghegis ( hy, Եղեգիս) is a village in the Yeghegis Municipality of the Vayots Dzor Province in Armenia. It has a rich historical past, with the medieval Zorats Church, the Tsakhats Kar Monastery and the Smbataberd fortress being locate ...

, 13th century File:Armenian_Tombstone_Aghout_Sisian_Armenia.jpg, Aghout cemetery in

Sisian Sisian ( hy, Սիսիան) is a town and the centre of the urban community of Sisian, in the Syunik Province in southern Armenia. It is located on the Vorotan River, 6 km south of the Yerevan- Meghri highway, at a road distance of 217 km southe ...

File:Saint Mesrop Mashtots Cathedral in Oshakan, part 30, VM.jpg, Saint

Mesrop Mashtots Mesrob or Mesrop ( hy, Մեսրոպ) is an Armenian given name. Mesrob / Mesrop may refer to: * Mesrop Mashtots, also Saint Mesrop, Armenian monk, theologian and linguist. Inventor of the Armenian alphabet ** Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient M ...

Cathedral in

Oshakan Oshakan ( hy, Օշական) is a major village in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia located 8 kilometers southwest from Ashtarak. It is well known to historians and pilgrims of the Armenian Apostolic Church as the site of the grave of Mesrop Mas ...

;Modern statues and sculptures File:Խաչքար_Երեւանի_Բժշկական_Համալսարանի_մօտ.JPG, A modern '' khatchkar'' in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

File:Mari.gevrogyan.JPG, A khachkar in memory of the victims of the

1988 Armenian earthquake The 1988 Armenian earthquake, also known as the Spitak earthquake ( hy, Սպիտակի երկրաշարժ, ), occurred on December 7 at with a surface wave magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum MSK intensity of X (''Devastating''). The shock occurre ...

File:DziDzernagapert - eternal flame.jpg, Armenian Genocide memorial in

, 1965 File:Cascade_of_Yerevan,_Armenia_First_Christian_Country_Monument,_Head,_Armenia,_2013-09-01,_VM.jpg, A 1992 monument in the

Yerevan Cascade The Cascade ( hy, Կասկադ, ''Kaskad'') is a giant stairway made of limestone in Yerevan, Armenia. It links the downtown Kentron area of Yerevan with the Monument neighborhood ( Arabkir and Kanaker-Zeytun districts). Designed by architects J ...

dedicated to the adoption of Christianity as state religion in Armenia, known as the "First Christian State" File:War cemetery in Sisian, Armenia, VM.jpg, A monument dedicated to the memory of the Armenian soldiers killed in the

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaij ...

File:Oshakan tower, Armenian Alphabet and Eternity sign, VM.jpg, A monument of

Armenian Alphabet The Armenian alphabet ( hy, Հայոց գրեր, ' or , ') is an alphabetic writing system used to write Armenian. It was developed around 405 AD by Mesrop Mashtots, an Armenian linguist and ecclesiastical leader. The system originally ha ...

and Eternity sign on

tower File:Dsegh Tumanyan musuem plaque.jpg, A plaque at the entrance of

Hovhannes Tumanyan Hovhannes Tumanyan ( hy, Հովհաննես Թումանյան, classical spelling: Յովհաննէս Թումանեան, – March 23, 1923) was an Armenian poet, writer, translator, and literary and public activist. He is the nationa ...

's museum in

Dsegh Dsegh ( hy, Դսեղ), known as Tumanyan between 1938 and 1969, is a village in the Lori Province of Armenia. Dsegh is the birthplace of one of the most celebrated of Armenian poets Hovhannes Tumanyan from which took the name from 1938 to 1969. ...

File:Haghpat Sayat-Nova Square.jpg, A plaque indicating that the square at the entrance of the

Haghpat Monastery Haghpat Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank ( hy, Հաղպատավանք), is a medieval monastery complex in Haghpat, Armenia, built between the 10th and 13th century. Location The location of Haghpat Monastery was chosen so that it overlooks ...

was named for

Sayat-Nova Sayat-Nova ( Armenian: Սայեաթ-Նովայ ( сlassical), Սայաթ-Նովա ( reformed); ka, საიათნოვა; ; ; born Harutyun Sayatyan; 14 June 1712 – 22 September 1795) was an Armenian poet, musician and ''ashugh'', w ...

in 2010 File:Revived Armenia Monument Two of Four Eternity Signs on Base Cascade Yerevan Armenia 2013 09 01 VM.jpg, thumbnail, The eternity sign appears on the base of this 1965 monument at the top of

, named "Revived Armenia", dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Soviet rule in Armenia. See

another view ''Another View'' is an outtakes compilation album by the Velvet Underground. It was released in 1986 by Verve Records and is composed of material recorded between 1967 and 1969. Composition and collection When the Velvet Underground moved from V ...

. There are 9 eternity signs on this monument, including 5 on the base and 4 on top. ;Logos , Logo of the

Republican Party of Armenia The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA, hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետական Կուսակցություն, ՀՀԿ; ''Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun'', ''HHK'') is a national-conservative political party in Armenia led by the thir ...

, File:Symbol of National Library of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia, VM.jpg, Symbol of

National Library of Armenia The National Library of Armenia ( hy, (''Hayastani Azgayin Gradaran'')) is a national public library in Yerevan, Armenia. It was founded in 1832 as part of the state gymnasium-school of Yerevan. It is the official cultural repository for the ent ...

File:Armenian_Eternity_Sign_ACC_Stamp.jpg,

Rubber stamp A rubber stamp is an image or pattern that has been carved, molded, laser engraved or vulcanized onto a sheet of rubber. Rubber stamping, also called stamping, is a craft in which some type of ink made of dye or pigment is applied to rubbe ...

of the "Armenian Computer Center" Ltd., 1998 File:AM 100 dram Ag 2001 Council b.png, Commemorative coins of Armenia,

joining the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it has 46 member states, with a p ...

, January 25, 2001 File:Coat_of_аrms_of_Yerevan.svg, Seal of Yerevan, adopted in 2004 File:The emblem of the Hovhannes Sharambeyan Peoples Art Centre in Yerevan.jpg, The emblem of the Peoples Art Centre in Yerevan File:Japanese national sign Chrysanthemum and the Armenian eternity sign in one logo made in colours of national flags.jpg, The

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

national sign

Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums (), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus ''Chrysanthemum'' in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the cent ...

and the Armenian eternity sign in one logo made in colors of

national flag A national flag is a flag that represents and symbolizes a given nation. It is flown by the government of that nation, but usually can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanings for its colours a ...

s, 2011 File:All Armenian Fund. Water is life telethon logo. November 25, 2010. Desiner Edik Balayan.jpg, Water is life -

Armenia Fund Armenia Fund (full name Hayastan All Armenian Fund, hy, Հայաստան համահայկական հիմնադրամ) was established in 1994 in Los Angeles, California. Armenia Fund, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-governmental, non-politica ...

telethon logo, 2010

References

External links

*{{Commons category-inline, Armenian eternity sign
Hayastan All Armenian Fund. Telethon 2010 – Water is Life.
"Water is Life indeed and as you can see in the design, the water turns into the Armenian eternity symbol as it flows out of the helping hands."

– "A single jet of water and the symbol of eternity mark its center, representing hope and rebirth."
Armenian Engineers & Scientists of America
"The Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA) logo is an ancient symbol used in Armenian architecture and carvings. The symbol signifies Eternal Life – in Armenian ''Haverjoutian Nshan'' or Sign of Eternity."
Armenian Monuments Awareness Project
Armenian mythology ArmSCII National symbols of Armenia Time in Armenia Rotational symmetry

Evolution and use

ArmSCII and UNICODE

Gallery

See also

References

External links