Zorats Karer
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 Shown within Armenia
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| Alternate name | Zorats Karer, Carenish, Dik-dik karer |
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| Location | near Sisian, Syunik Province, Armenia |
| Coordinates | 39°33′2.52″N 46°1′42.96″E / 39.5507000°N 46.0286000°ECoordinates: 39°33′2.52″N 46°1′42.96″E / 39.5507000°N 46.0286000°E |
| Type | possibly a necropolis or observatory |
| History | |
| Founded | construction date unknown |
| Periods | Middle Bronze Age to Iron Age |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Is being protected by the government. |
| Website | carahunge.com |
Zorats Karer (Armenian: Զորաց Քարեր, locally Դիք-դիք քարեր Dik-dik karer), also called Karahunj, Qarahunj or Carahunge and Carenish (Armenian: Քարահունջ և Քարենիշ) is a prehistoric archaeological site near the town of Sisian in the Syunik Province of Armenia. The phrase Zorats Karer is literally translated from Armenian as Army Stones. It is also often referred to in international tourist lore as the 'Armenian Stonehenge.'
The Carahunge site is on latitude of 39° 34' and longitude of 46° 01' on the mountain plateau having altitude 1770 m and occupies a territory of about 7 hectare on the left side of the Dar river canyon, the tributary of the river Vorotan (at 2 km). It is located on a rocky promontory near Sisian.
Armenian historian Stepanos Orbelian in his book 'History of Syunic' (I-XII centuries) mentioned that in Tsluk (Yevalakh) region of Armenia, near town Syunic or Sisian was a village Carunge, which means in Armenian Stone Treasure or Foundational Stones.
The name Carahunge is interpreted as deriving from two Armenian words: car (or kar) (Armenian: քար), meaning stone, and hunge or hoonch (Armenian: հունչ), meaning sound. Thus the name Carahunge means Speaking Stones.
This interpretation is related to the fact that the stones make whistling sounds on a windy day, presumably because of multiple reach-through holes bored under different angles into the stones in prehistoric times.
In 2004, the site was officially named the Karahunj (Carahunge) Observatory, by Parliamentary decree (Government decision No. 1095-n, July 29, 2004).
Carahunge is also known in local lore as Zorats Karer (Զորաց Քարեր), Dik-dik Karer (Դիք-դիք քարեր), and Tsits Karer (Ցից Քարեր), meaning Vertical Stones in vernacular Armenian.
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Wikipedia