Armenian cross stone monuments (Değirmenaltı)

 church, christianity, cemetery, place with historical importance, archaeological site, destroyed, interesting place, Armenian Apostolic church, place of worship, scheduled ancient monument

The Khatchkar Gravestones of P'or (Armenian: Փորի խաչքարներ) is a remain of medieval Armenian monastery at the moddle of P'or village. Most stand to the south of the church and are arranged in two rows running north-south. In addition to those pictured, there is also a third row of smaller khatchkars, the stones of which now all lie either buried or toppled face-down. Another khatchkar, dated 1456, is built into the interior south wall of the St. Anania church. There are fragments of more khatchkars built into the walls of the chapel and into the walls of a barn that adjoins it to the north.
Stylistically, the Por khatchkars are very distinctive. Unfortunately, because of the near total destruction of medieval Armenian graveyards in eastern Turkey i nthe post-Genocide period, it is difficult to place them into a local, regional, or national context. Not only are they distinctively different from khatchkars found in other parts of Armenia, they are also very different in design from surviving khatchkars from the eastern half of the Lake Van region, such as those on Aght'amar Island or at the Saint Argelan monastery near Muradiye. The widespread depiction of birds and fishes on the Por khatchkars is unusual, and the use of equal-armed Maltese crosses set within roundels in the second row of khatchkars seems to look back to motifs found in Armenian Christian monuments from much earlier times.
There are three khatchkars in the first row, one of which is broken. All three of them carry inscriptions in Armenian and they are all dated 1496.
To the east of the first row of khatchkars there is a second row, this time with five khatchkars. Their designs are entirely different from those in the first row. The khatchkar on the left is dated 1513. The damage to it, and to its neighbour, is recent.