Pine trees are the only living creatures that dance in the breeze among the headstones of the historical Armenian cemetery in Isfahan. Across the graveyard, granite and slate tablets inscribed with names and dates mark the last home of some hundred interred and memorialize the resting places of loved ones.
Iran (IMNA) - Hand carving on gravestones is an old and crafty practice. For centuries, artists and craftspeople have made great efforts to transform raw tablets of various kinds of stone into beautiful monuments that use words and images to keep the memory of those who have passed away.
In the course of history, becoming a gravestone engraver was to be an ongoing challenge. Before getting a chance to work without any help, one usually needed to practice as a trainee for years alongside a master craftsman to learn how to use tools like mallets, bladed hand tools, and dividers.
In spite of the fact that the art of hand - carving gravestone s has developed over the years, the same standards and basics are still in use; however, many artists choose to use laser engraving to make headstones. Using such technology would never have been possible in former times, when all gravestones carving was performed by hand.
In Isfahan's Armenian cemetery, there remains an artist who is still carving the head stones by hand. Let's enjoy his art through IMNA's camera.
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