Tsitsern-akaberd
The Armenian Genocide Memorial
Background to the Memorial
Starting in 1915, the Ottoman Empire began persecuting all Armenians living in the Empire's borders. They were tortured, killed, and forced to march thousands of miles through the dense and dangerous wilderness by Turkish officials. The population of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire went from 3,133,190 in 1914 and to only 387,800 by 1922 and it's estimated some one and a half million were killed during that time.
Memorial Wall
The first part that a visitor sees upon entering the memorial area is the Memorial Wall, which stretches along the left side of the pathway to the main pavilion of the memorial. The wall is 328 feet long and constructed out of basalt. The wall lists the names of Ottoman Empire towns where massacres were committed against the local Armenian population. Basalt is also considered by some to be a stone of strength and courage and can provide stability in one's life. The wall being made out of basalt symbolizes the strength of the Armenian people for how they persisted despite systematic persecution by the Ottoman government and how all they wish for is stability once again.
Memorial Column
The second part of the memorial is the Memorial Column, sometimes called “The Reborn Armenia,” or The Reborn Armenia Memorial Column. The column is a 144 foot tall obelisk that is cut into two at an angle. The column and the split symbolizes “part of the trees striving towards the sun” and “a continuity of life” (AGBUvideo, "Hayk Demoyan: The Design and Symbolism of Tsitsernakaberd" 2:28-2:38). The trees mentioned are a reference to the Tree of Life, which is a popular part of Armenian culture. Armenians feel the Tree of Life and trees in general are sacred and have life-giving and healing properties.
Sanctuary of Eternity
The third part and arguably the centerpiece of the memorial is the Sanctuary of Eternity. The Sanctuary, along with the Memorial Column, is on a large plateau that symbolizes a giant grave for all the Armenians who perished in the Syrian desert. The Sanctuary of Eternity consists of twelve slabs positioned in a circle that are tilted up to the sky. The slabs symbolizes an open grave for those killed in the massacre and acts as hole showing the heart of the earth. Although some say that the twelve pillars symbolize the twelve provinces of Armenia, that is not actually the case. There being twelve slabs rather than six or nine was purely an aesthetic decision by the architects. The twelve pillars looks over a deep hole in the ground where an eternal flame resides. The eternal flame symbolizes a victim of the massacre. The only other symbolism is the diameter of the pit, fifteen meters, which references the year the genocide began: 1915.
Works Cited
AGBUvideo. "Hayk Demoyan: The Design and Symbolism of Tsitsernakaberd." YouTube, commentary by Hayk Demoyan, 27 Non. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-K7Frm8Q-Y.