MONUMENTS
MONUMENT TO THE FRIENDSHIP OF ARMENIAN AND ARAB PEOPLE
2009
The official opening in 2012
Architect: Levon Mkrtchyan
Sculptor: Smbat and Rafik Mkrtchyans,
Painter: Sergey Mkrtchyan
The monument is situated on the coast of Lake Yerevan, not far from the US Embassy. The construction was initiated in 1997 by Varuzhan Salatyan, a representative of the Armenian community in Damascus. More than 200 benefactors and charity organizations from Armenia and the Diaspora (including Syria, the USA, France, Russia, and others) supported this initiative. The monument serves as a symbol of gratitude from Armenians worldwide to the Syrian and broader Middle Eastern Arab communities for their support of Armenians who escaped the Armenian Genocide.
The monument was created by brothers Levon, Smbat, Rafik, and Sergey Mkrtchyans. Its architectural design comprises three main elements: an eagle, a pyramid, and a depiction of Syrian territory. The eagle symbolizes the people's will and spirit, the pyramid represents the renaissance of the Armenian people who survived the genocide and found new life in Syria and other Arab countries, and the depiction of Syrian territory reflects the Armenians settled in various parts of Syria and the Arab world, as well as the friendship between Armenians and Arabs.
On the western facade of the monument, the year "1915" is engraved along with depictions of birds. On the northwestern side, three tiles bear the inscription in Armenian, Arabic, and English: “GRATITUDE MONUMENT FROM THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE TO THE ARAB PEOPLE.” To the left of the platform is a bench inscribed in three languages: “IN MEMORY OF VARUZHAN SALATIAN.” At the entrance, there is a basalt spring-monument. The platform, constructed from Armavir red tuff, is paved and fenced. The height of the monument is approximately 12 meters.
“Scientific Research Centre of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO
Yerevan Municipality