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Noratus () is a village in the
Gavar Municipality Gegharkunik (, ) is a province ('' marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar. Gegharkunik is inhabited by approximately 209,669 people and the majority are ethnic Armenians. Gegharkunik Province is located at the eastern part o ...
of the
Gegharkunik Province Gegharkunik (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province (''Administrative divisions of Armenia, marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar. Gegharkunik is inhabited by approximately 209,669 people and the majority are ethnic Armenian ...
of
Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
, near the town of
Gavar Gavar ( ) is a town in Armenia serving as the administrative centre of the Gavar Municipality and the Gegharkunik Province. It is situated among the high mountains of Gegham range to the west of Lake Sevan, with an average height of 1982 meter ...
. The village has a rich historical past, and is famous for the Noratus cemetery, the largest surviving cemetery in the world featuring khachkars.


History

Noratus is first mentioned as a settlement in the Middle Ages, when it was a much larger settlement. The bronze-age megalithic fort near the village points to the notion that Noratus is one of the most ancient continuously inhabited settlements in Armenia. There are a great number of medieval monuments and records in the village and around it. One of the famous churches in Noratus is St. Astvatsatsin Church, which is located in the middle of the village. It was built in the late of 9th century by the Gegharkunik prince Sahak. The church was a domed hall, completely built from polished and large stones. It was foundered in the last centuries and as traditionally it is said, the dome and roof were destroyed by the Lezgins. Alashkert immigrants have covered it with timbers. The church had a fenced yard, where now there are many khachkars (Armenian cross-stone) and headstones. The most ancient record is on one of the khachkars, which is now kept in the State Museum of Armenian History.


Gavar transmitter

Northeast of Noratus, there is the Gavar transmitter, a huge Soviet-type facility for longwave, mediumwave and shortwave radio broadcasting.


Gallery

Noraduz Chapel 18th century.jpg, Chapel located within the cemetery Gravestones of Noradus 29.jpg, Khachkars in Noratus cemetery S. Xach.jpg, Shorgyoli Vank Doputs Vank (23).jpg, Doputs Vank Noratus Village.JPG, A view of Noratus


References


External links

* * * {{Authority control Populated places in Gegharkunik Province