Armenia Tourist Attractions

Noratus

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Noratus is situated not far from Sevan. It is the biggest cemetery of ancient khachcars (cross-stones) of the 9th-15th cc, one of the places making the strongest impression about Armenia.
According to one of the legends about Noratus, during a Mongol Tatar invasion hundreds of khachcars were tricked out as soldiers. Seeing this countless mass the enemy did not attack the village and disgracefully retreated.

According to another legend, a small chapel on the territory of the cemetery helped save a whole village: in accordance with an agreement with the village elder, the Mongol Tatars promised to save the lives of those who would fit into the small chapel. The whole village got in - there was an underground exit from inside the chapel. And when the defeated commander of the Mongol Tatar army entered the chapel, he saw the praying elder only who "explained" that people turned into pigeons and flew away.

Noratus