The story of Memorial and Museum of the Turkish Martyrs

Rising 43.5 metres from the ground, this monument is, according to its source, the tallest in Turkey. Located in Iğdır and formerly called the Iğdır Genocide Monument and Museum, it symbolises attacks carried out against Turks by Armenians living in the region between 1915 and 1920. Its foundation was laid on 1 August 1997 by the governor, Şemsettin Uzun. Five swords, each 36 metres high, stand on an artificial hill, their curved tips meeting overhead in a dome that recalls Seljuk tombs.

Look at the hilts: each carries a soldier from a different era, Hun, Göktürk, Seljuk, Ottoman and Turkish. The swords are clad in "Bianco Maris" granite brought from Italy, and the outer walls are of Ahlat stone. Inside the 350 m² museum are photographs, a library, 570 books and 260 pictures; the museum displays documents that reject the Armenian Genocide.

Around 4000 visitors come each month.