Kamaris – Churches, Khachkars and Archaeological Sites

Churches, chapels, khachkars and archaeological sites give Kamaris a cultural and historical focus. The sites are spread across the village and its surroundings, with dates ranging from millennia before Christ to the 20th century. When planning your trip, it is helpful to distinguish between religious buildings, cross-stones and archaeological sites: this helps you associate dates with a particular building, a group of khachkars or a cemetery. Depending on your interests, you can focus on buildings and their stones or on the fortress, cemetery and settlement.

Churches, Chapels and Khachkars

The Surb Hovhannes Church in the village dates from 1832. Its bell tower dates to the 19th century; several 17th-century khachkars, including inscribed examples, are set into the church. The dates refer to different components: the church, tower and cross-stones should be distinguished chronologically. This distinction makes the site especially interesting to travelers who want to understand not only a building’s year of construction, but also the age of the stones associated with it.

At the edge of the village is also the ruin of Tukh Manuk Chapel, with a khachkar dating from the 16th to the 17th century. In contrast to Surb Hovhannes, the focus here is on the ruin and the older cross-stone, while the church dating from 1832 features several khachkars set into it. The physical condition and access to historic buildings can change; check both before visiting.

Archaeological Sites and Their Locations

For the archaeological sites, location and period go hand in hand. The medieval Kuze Fortress lies about six kilometers southeast of Kamaris. Southwest of the village, at the site of Kyalafa, there is a fortress with a cemetery; both are dated to the period from the 3rd to the 1st millennium BC. A settlement dating from the 3rd to the 2nd millennium BC is also located on the southern side of Kamaris. In terms of chronology, Kuze thus contrasts with the much earlier sites at Kyalafa and on the southern side. The three archaeological reference points are also distinguished by their directions: southeast, southwest and south.

Cemetery and Chapels in the Southwest

Another area of interest lies in the southwest of the village. There is a cemetery there dated from the 12th to the 20th century. Also in this part of the village is Surb Astvatsatsin Chapel, dating from 1258; several khachkars are dated from the 10th to the 17th century. Kamarakuyt Chapel, dating from the 19th century, is another site. By comparison, the khachkars date back further than the period covered by the cemetery, while Surb Astvatsatsin has a single construction date: 1258.

Planning What to Visit

Across all the sites, exact construction dates such as 1258 and 1832 sit alongside broad date ranges for the cemetery, khachkars and archaeological sites. If you are exploring Kamaris through its history, it helps to consider these two types of dating separately: a year identifies a building’s date, while a range indicates the period associated with a site or group. If you are looking for a hotel in Kamaris, this distinction can help you decide whether to focus on religious buildings or archaeology when planning your trip. For the archaeological sites, it is advisable to check access in advance.

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