Bikfaya, Lebanon, Armenian Genocide Monument
| Subject: | The victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. (view image) |
| Type of Memorial: | Commemorative Plaque, Monumental Sculpture |
| Sponsor(s): | Lebanese-Armenian community and the Armenian Apostolic Church of Lebanon. |
| Architect/Designer/Artist: | Designer and architect: Mr. Zaven Khedeshian (Hadichian); Renovation by engineer: Hovsep Khacherian. |
| Placement: | Outdoor, freestanding sculptural work on the top of a hill that is located on the grounds of the Summer retreat of the Catholicate of Cilicia; Monastery (Vank) of Bikfaya. |
| Physical Setting: | On top of a small hill accessible from one side and cut abruptly on the other. |
| Tourist Amenities: | No |
| Map Designation: | The Armenian Monastery of Bikfaya |
| Physical Condition: | During the Lebanese Civil War, the monument underwent a sabotage bombing by the Phalange, a Christian Militant Party. The monument was heavily damaged but it did not fall. The lower portion was damaged. In 1993, engineer Hovsep Khacherian renovated it. Presently the monument is in a good condition. |
| Inscription: | "This monument, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, was erected with the cooperation of the whole Armenian Community in Lebanon, to celebrate the rebirth of the Armenian nation and to express gratitude to our country, Lebanon - April 24 1969" (Translated from Armenian and Arabic). |
| Location: | Armenian Monastery (Vank) of the Catholicate of Cilicia Bikfaya, Mount Lebanon Lebanon |
| Construction Began: | Early 1960s |
| Construction Completed: | 1965 |
| Dedication Date: | April 24, 1965 |
| Renovation Date: | 1993 |
| Prior Use of Site: | The grounds of the monastery. |
| Development/Construction Process: | The memorial is a bronze abstract figure of a woman standing with hands toward the sky. The bronze figure is mounted on a clef-like rock of five meters high, beyond which is located the public space for public assembly. The plaque with Arabic and Armenian inscriptions is placed on the side of the clef at the level of three meters high. |
| History of Ownership: | Owned by the Armenian Catholicate of Cilicia. |
| Commemorative Activities: | Every other year, the Armenian community of Lebanon and Syria visit the monument on April 24. The pilgrimages are alternated between this and the (Vank) Catholicate of Cilicia in Antelias. |
| Additional Information: | 85 Commémoration du Génocide des Arméniens. Publication du Comité uni pour la Commémoration du Génocide arménien. Montréal, 2000. Kidd, Kristen. "Perpetual Reminders," Armenian International Magazine (April 1999), pp. 48-50. Editorial Broad of Armenian Encyclopedia. The Armenian Question. Yerevan: 1996. |
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