This memorial complex is built in honor to the Battle of Sardarapat located in the village of Araks, in Armavir marz (region) 11 kilometers southwest of Armavir town. In 1968 during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Sardarapat wich took place on May 22–26, 1918, a memorial park was laid out on the spot of the battlefield.
The memorial was designed by architect Rafael Israelyan while the sculpting is by Ara Harutyunyan, Arsham Shahinyan and Samvel Manasyan. The entrance is flanked by huge winged oxen made of red tufa stone. A flight of steps leads to a square from which a 26-metre-high bell tower rises. The beautiful trellis structure with its twelve bells can be seen from afar. The bells ring every year on the day of the historic victory. The monument is guarded by massive ancient style Armenian-winged lions, and is flanked by a memorial garden for Karabakh (Arstakh) martyrs.
Sardarapat Memorial is a symbol of pride and survival. The Sardarapat Memorial marks the place of Armenia’s successful last-ditch effort to save the nation from obliteration at the hands of the Turks in the Battle of Sardarapat on May 22–26, 1918. Against tremendous odds, and during the haunting backdrop of genocide during the previous few years, Armenia’s makeshift army rebuffed the Turkish troops and safeguarded the small portion of historic Armenia, what became the current republic as it stands today. On the grounds of the historic battle one can visit the Sardarapat Ethnography and Liberation Movement History Museum adjacent to the outdoor monument.
