Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall extends for 500 meters as a visual testament to the pandemic.
The National Covid Memorial Wall
The pedigreed pistachios here are from Bronte.
Gelateria dei Gracchi
This tiny hole-in-the-wall serves one of the world’s most magnificent sandwiches.
Er Buchetto
Edward Gorey’s Grave
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pedigreed pistachios here are from Bronte.
Gelateria dei Gracchi
This tiny hole-in-the-wall serves one of the world’s most magnificent sandwiches.
Er Buchetto
Seafood features prominently on the menu.
Dakar NOLA
The kabrit, or twice-cooked goat, with plantains and rice and beans is essential.
Fritai
Twelve Mile Limit is the kind of bar with a whole roster of regulars.
Twelve Mile Limit
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Greenland dogs—crucial to the sledge patrol’s transport and defense—pull a patrolman’s sled.
How Greenland's Dog-Sled Patrol Became Unsung Heroes of World War II
about 5 hours ago
1763 Monument in Georgetown, Guyana
The Berbice Rebellion of 1763 Ended With a Letter
about 11 hours ago
A listener in Toronto explored Casa Loma, and a nearby park that made the city disappear.
How the Pandemic Helped Our Listeners Rediscover Their Own Neighborhoods
1 day ago
You don’t need a time machine to journey through history.
Dear Atlas: Where Can I Take a Trip Through Ancient History?
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Armenia Aghdzk 'Crystals of Refrain'
AO Edited

'Crystals of Refrain'

Atop a small Armenian hilltop adorned with many forms, and carvings, these stones tell a whimsical tale from a fictional world.

Aghdzk, Armenia

Added By
Eames Demetrios
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Interior of the spiral in the foreground, Red Stones in the middle ground, Ararat in the distance.   geographeratlarge / Atlas Obscura User
Interior of the spiral in the foreground, Red Stones in the middle ground, Ararat in the distance.   geographeratlarge / Atlas Obscura User
Installation of part of the three Red Corners.   geographeratlarge / Atlas Obscura User
Overview of the site.   geographeratlarge / Atlas Obscura User
The introduction of the story, with Ararat in the distance.   geographeratlarge / Atlas Obscura User
Reading one of the story stones.   geographeratlarge / Atlas Obscura User
Spiral stones in the foreground, two of the story stones on the right.   geographeratlarge / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

About 45 minutes northwest of Armenia's capital of Yerevan, you will find the village of Aghtsk (also written Aghdzk). As you drive through town and up the hill toward Tegheri Vank, a beautiful black stone, 13th century monastery, you will see a site known as Crystals of Refrain, one of the most elaborate installations in a long-running art project known as Kcymaerxthaere.

The work of artist Eames Demetrios, Kcymaerxthaere comprises a series of plaques and other markers around the world. Each of these markers honors an event that took place in a parallel universe, which, according to Demetrios, "co-exists to some degree with ours.” Most of the installations are bronze or stone plaques inscribed with stories but some are larger, even entire buildings. As of 2021, there are more than 140 sites spread across six continents and 30 countries.

According to the project's lore, it was at this site that a Kcymaerxthaereal woman named Eliala Me-Ning saved a child known as the Boy from the Sea. A total of six sets of stones tell you the story of Eliala, a singer who had witnessed a terrible crime. Though she tried to hide, Eliala's distinctive voice kept giving her away, so she lived a life on the run. Eventually she ended up staying with a community by the gorge here. When a flash flood raced through the gorge, putting a young boy in danger. Eliala sang so beautifully she crystalized the water into a soft pillowy stone that cushioned his fall.

This Kcymaerxthaere site overlooks the village and has a clear view of Mount Ararat (though the peak is often concealed). There are four main elements: an entry stone, the 12 stones with the stories, a spiral of stones, each of which represents one of Eliala Mei-Ning's places of hiding, and the three red corners, as well as 281 cratered stones.

Related Tags

Kcymaerxthaere Music Mathematics Rocks Geology

Know Before You Go

Pull over by side of road just up the hill from Aghtsk

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

geographeratlarge

Published

September 17, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
'Crystals of Refrain'
Aghdzk, 0207
Armenia
40.32098, 44.253039
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Byurakan Observatory

Byurakan, Armenia

miles away

Radio Optical Observatory ROT54

Orgov, Armenia

miles away

Armenian Alphabet Monument

Byurakan, Armenia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Armenia

Armenia

Europe

Places 32
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Byurakan Observatory

Byurakan, Armenia

miles away

Radio Optical Observatory ROT54

Orgov, Armenia

miles away

Armenian Alphabet Monument

Byurakan, Armenia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Armenia

Armenia

Europe

Places 32
Stories 3

Related Stories and Lists

What Does a Seven-Legged Gnacien Look Like? Disputed Likenessess of Kcymaerxthaere

kcymaerxthaere

By Eames Demetrios

Related Places

  • Pink rocks cover the beach.

    Minnesota

    Iona's Beach

    When waves crash onto this section of beach, the rocks sing a song.

  • The Cow and Calf, prominent rock features on the moor.

    Ilkley, England

    Ilkley Moor

    This strange moor has a song written about it, Bronze Age carvings, and an alien sighting.

  • Pu o Hiro, or Hiro’s Trumpet.

    Rapa Nui, Chile

    Pu o Hiro (Hiro's Trumpet)

    In the Middle Ages, villagers would sound this stone trumpet to boost fertility and coax fish to shore.

  • The Church

    Iceland

    Dimmuborgir

    These ominous lava formations were said to be an entrance to the netherworld so of course they inspired a famous metal band.

  • Lake Forest, California

    Red Rock Canyon

    A striking geological formation in Southern California.

  • North side of Monster Rock.

    Ephrata, Washington

    Monster Rock

    An enormous boulder deposited by the Scabland floods lies in the Quincy Basin among a host of smaller boulders.

  • Cape Town, South Africa

    Scratch Patch

    An artificial cave littered with semi-precious stones waiting to be picked up.

  • The blue spruce on the right symbolizes the spirit of John Denver.

    Aspen, Colorado

    John Denver Sanctuary

    Fill up your senses in this beautiful riverside garden, dedicated to the works of singer-songwriter John Denver.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.