When you think about the history of the Armenian people during the 20th Century and the ensuing upheaval that lead to the creation of the Republic of Armenia, you can't help but be moved by Tsitsernakaberd. You must pay a visit to the eternal flame, which sits in the centre of twelve stelae, placed in honour of the 1.2 million people who were systematically massacred by the then Turkish government.
This vast memorial sits on a hill that overlooks Yerevan, It's even more moving when you think that when it was commissioned in 1965, it was designed to be small. Little by little, it grew in size to become a huge construction undertaken by the Soviet authorities.
On arriving at Tsitsernakaberd you'll find a huge plaza and a wall that bears the name of the Ottoman Empire's Armenian villages where the genocide occurred. In the centre, a 44m granite stele rises, a symbol of Armenia's rebirth. Behind it, twelve stelae circle a flame, the focal point around which tributes are laid. And underground you'll find the small Armenian Genocide Museum, home to historical documents that relate the events. It will leave you shaken.