Simultaneously with the category of monumental khachkars, Armenia has elaborated, since the beginning of the history of this art - the second half of the 9th century, a “minor” type of small, mural khachkars. This type became particularly characteristic for diaspora communities. Among them, one of the most active centers where such small plates with a cross – tree of life were produced was Crimea, especially, in the 14th-16th c., the town of Caffa (Theodossia). Crimean mural khachkars, often made of marble, have their specific features, and exerted a marked influence on the production of other Armenian communities of the region, notably in Galicia, Podolia, and Bessarabia.