| Armenia - genocide memorial |
In 1965, Armenians commemorated the 50th anniversary of the genocide. As there
was no symbol in Armenia itself, the genocide memorial at Tsitsernakaberd
was created and completed in 1967. It's stunning how striking and appropriate
the monument is. There is a 44m tall stele symbolizing survival and nearby
12 large leaning slabs suggesting figures in mourning. The slabs surround
an eternal flame set 1.5m below. The steps leading there are deliberately
steep, requiring visitors to bow as they approach the flame.
The museum, which was added in 1995, contains in particular photographs taken
by German army photographers who, as allies to the Turks in WWI, were allowed
in the area at the time.
Information on the genocide is widely available in the form of history books
or testimonies of survivors. I would recommend "Les Arméniens,
histoire d'un génocide" (in French) by Yves Ternon (ISBN 2020256851).
It still surprises me a great deal that such a major historical event, so
important for mankind to learn the lessons from the past, is generally kept
in the dark, trivialized or even appallingly negated.