Eternal Armenia: Khatchkars – The CrossStones of Noratus

Eternal Armenia: Khatchkars – The CrossStones of Noratus is a large-format, bilingual English-Armenian volume by photographer and author David Karamian, devoted to one of Armenia’s most extraordinary cultural and spiritual landscapes.

Created over nearly three years of photography, research, writing, and design, the 264-page book features nearly 200 photographs documenting Noratus, near Lake Sevan—home to the world’s largest surviving collection of Armenian khatchkars, or cross-stones.

Through photography and narrative, Karamian explores the history and symbolism of the khatchkar, the master artisans who carved them, and the deeply personal visual language embedded in these centuries-old monuments. The book also confronts the urgent question of cultural preservation, particularly in the shadow of the destruction of the historic Armenian khatchkar cemetery of Julfa.

Part photographic journey, part cultural document, Eternal Armenia is ultimately an act of witness—a celebration of Armenian artistry, Christian heritage, memory, and survival.

David Karamian is an Armenian-American photographer, author, designer, and publisher whose work is dedicated to documenting and bringing greater international visibility to Armenia’s cultural heritage.