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Ruben Ghazaryan
"There are no bad stones. There are bad masters. Stones are always fine."
Stone carver Ruben Ghazaryan worked for one year at the Noravank monastery, which dates to the thirteenth century, where he demonstrated and taught tourists the art of khachkar carving. It was there that Ruben found his teacher: Momik, the famous medieval master, architect, and stone carver who created some of the principal carvings of this monastery.
Ghazaryan prefers to work with a soft stone known as Momik, after the master -- the same stone he used to build the walls of Noravank. Ruben and his brother Karen Ghazaryan, who learned the art of stone carving from Ruben, work in their kiosk outside the entrance to Noravank Gorge, near the Areni-1 cave. There they sell their works, demonstrate their craft, and offer visitors the opportunity to try their hand at this centuries-old Armenian tradition. |