Description of the attraction
One of the main attractions of the capital of Armenia is the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex. Located on the southeastern hill of the park of the same name, overlooking the gorge of the Hrazdan River, the memorial was built in memory of the victims of the 1915 genocide.
The idea of creating the complex arose in 1965 on the 50th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The construction of the memorial took two years. The opening of the Tsitsernakaberd complex took place in November 1967 on the day of the 47th anniversary of Soviet Armenia.
The total area of the memorial complex is 4500 sq. M. It consists of three main parts, namely the obelisk, the temple of eternity and the memorial wall. The road leading to the monument runs near the memorial wall made of smooth basalt stones. On the wall you can see the carved names of cities and villages in Armenia, whose inhabitants have become victims of violent Turkish crimes.
The next element of the Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex is a 44-meter high granite stele, which symbolizes the survival and rebirth of the Armenian people. The stele is divided by a deep vertical crevice and symbolizes the violent and tragic dispersal of the Armenians, and also shows the desire for unity of the Armenian people. The central composition of the memorial complex is a mausoleum composed of twelve pylons arranged in a circle, which symbolize the twelve provinces that are part of Turkey today. An eternal flame burns inside the mausoleum, mourning melodies sound.
Every year on April 24, hundreds of thousands of people rise to the memorial complex to lay flowers at the eternal flame in memory of the victims of the genocide.
On a hill near the Tsitsernakaberd memorial is the Genocide Museum, created in 1995 by architects Mkrtchyan and Kalashyan. The main feature of the museum is that it is located underground.
