Set on a hill, the stunning orange tuff memorial at Sardarapat commemorates the battle in May 1918 when forces of the first Armenian republic turned back the Turkish army and saved the country from a likely annihilation. Designed by Russian-trained architect Raphael Israelyan and built in 1968, it is a popular pilgrimage destination for Armenians. The State Ethnographic Museum at the site is in two parts: battle paraphernalia in the first hall and an excellent ethnographic collection upstairs.
Sardarapat is about 10km southwest of Armavir, signposted near the village of Araks. Marshrutky leave from Yerevan's Kilikiya Avtokayan for Armavir (AMD400, 50 minutes, every 15 minutes from 7.30am to 8pm), from where you will need to negotiate with a taxi driver to take you to Sardarapat and return you to Armavir after two to three hours at the site. This should cost approximately AMD3000. There's a restaurant at the complex if you wish to have lunch or a coffee.
