Khachkar :: ARMENIAN HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Khachkar 14 — 15 cc․

Turkey / Van / Gyavash / Gandzak

Location
2006 y․

In 2006 while working in two different sites in Rshtunik District, Vaspurakan Province, Armenia Maior, we found two heretofore completely unknown cryptograms on cross-stones. One of them is situated in the graveyard (located at 1,936 metres above sea level) of St. Thomas Monastery near Gandzak Village, not far from the southern shore of Lake Van.

Abrahamian Emma, Two Newly-Found Cryptograms in Rshtunik, in: "Vardzk", 2011, N 4, p. 25.

Description

Let us start with the latter. The cross-stone, only the lower part of which is preserved (dimensions of the surviving part: 58 x 44 cms), is sculptured of hard bluish sandstone and has an irregular contour. Its centre is decorated with the tree of life from which the main cross emerges, enclosed within an apse-shaped design known as ‘khoran’ in Armenian miniature painting (‘khoran’ is the Armenian equivalent for ‘apse’ - translator). A small simple cross is carved within each of its pillars the capitals of which are embellished with a pair of quadrifoliate flower reliefs. The two-line inscription, only the second line of which is preserved, was engraved between the wings of the main cross of the composition and on the lower part of the cross-stone. It represents an encrypted writing of line and dot substitution.

Abrahamian Emma, Two Newly-Found Cryptograms in Rshtunik, in: "Vardzk", 2011, N 4, pp. 25-26.

In this cryptograph, the vertical lines—they are 1 to 4 in number—stand for the units, tens, hundreds and thousands of the numeric system of the Armenian alphabet, while the dots found on their right show the next numbers of the sounds: ||||: |. ||||..... |... ||: ||||: Ս ա ր գ ի ս (S a r g i s) The ciphertext is entirely decoded as follows: ... | ... | Յ(իսու)ս Ք(րիստո)ս, | Սարգիս: ...Jesus Christ, Sargis.

Abrahamian Emma, Two Newly-Found Cryptograms in Rshtunik, in: "Vardzk", 2011, N 4, p. 26.

14 — 15 cc․

The stylistic and artistic peculiarities of the cross-sone, as well as its comparison with other similar monuments found in the same region trace it back to the period between the 14th and 15th centuries.

Abrahamian Emma, Two Newly-Found Cryptograms in Rshtunik, in: "Vardzk", 2011, N 4, p. 25.

Inscription, Armenian, Encoded, Commemoration

The two-line inscription, only the second line of which is preserved, was engraved between the wings of the main cross of the composition and on the lower part of the cross-stone. It represents an encrypted writing of line and dot substitution. In this cryptograph, the vertical lines—they are 1 to 4 in number—stand for the units, tens, hundreds and thousands of the numeric system of the Armenian alphabet, while the dots found on their right show the next numbers of the sounds:
||||: |. ||||..... |... ||: ||||: Ս ա ր գ ի ս (S a r g i s) The ciphertext is entirely decoded as follows: ... | Յ(իսու)ս Ք(րիստո)ս, | Սարգիս: ...Jesus Christ, Sargis.

Emma Abrahamian, Two Newly-Found Cryptograms in Rshtunik, "Vardzk", 2011, N 4, p. 26.

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 2010 y․

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative

Type Photo
View Exterior
Author Samvel Karapetyan
Source Colour Negative
Date 2010 y․

A cross-stone with a ciphertext of line and dot substitution in its cemetery