MONUMENTS

1962

Architect: Rafael Israelyan

The monument dedicated to Sayat-Nova (Harutyun (Arutin) Sayadyan, 1712-1795), an Armenian ashugh, poet, and unparalleled master of ashugh art of the late Middle Ages, is located at the intersection of Sayat-Nova Avenue and Nalbandyan Street.

It is a 2-meter-high monument in the form of a khachkar, rectangular, polished, and made of red tuff. On the wide and flat surface, facing the sidewalk, is an inscription from the poetry of Sayat-Nova:

“Don’t say, who this poor musician is,

I am the master of my word; my skill is in writing,

I am Arutin, they call me Sayat Nova,

I say such words that make the whole world resound”.

Below the quatrain is a drawing of Mount Ararat, which completes the decoration of the cornice. The lower front surface of the stele is entirely decorated with high reliefs of large and small roses, buds, and stems.

On the cornice of the street-facing surface, another quatrain by Sayat-Nova is engraved:

“Let’s turn with heavenly grace, the bud has opened,

Let's sing with rhythm, the roses of various colors have bloomed,

With lilies and hyacinths, with the nightingale in exile, the garden is filled,

Dark garden with grace, I praise you with the saz, beloved with flowing hair”.
Below the cornice, the composition decorated with buds, flowers, leaves, and stems is complemented by images of a wine jug, a goblet, a graceful deer, and a singing bird - images often praised by the poet.