Musaler is primarily known for the memorial site associated with Musa Dagh. Considering booking a hotel in Musaler means choosing a place whose museum, monument, and annual commemorative event are connected with this history.
Culture and History
On the hill stands a memorial museum made of tuff stone, dating from 1976, dedicated to the resistance at Musa Dagh. In addition to the resistance, the exhibition covers the daily life, customs, clothing, and economic activities of the Cilician Musa-Ler Armenians in the 19th century. The memorial complex also includes a separate building called Harisatoun, where harisa is prepared and distributed. Basalt steps lead up to the memorial hill. The monument is listed in Musaler’s register of immovable historical and cultural monuments.
The architecture of the monument, made of red tuff, resembles a fortress tower topped with an eagle’s head. The façade is decorated with a bas-relief of a warrior; this relief on the front façade was created by Ara Harutyunyan. The memorial complex was built with material support and with the direct participation of Musa-Ler Armenians in Armenia and the diaspora.
Survivors and descendants who settled in Soviet Armenia founded the village of Musaler and later erected the monument there. A 53-day defense took place on Musa Dagh. At the foot of the memorial hill are the graves of Musaler residents who were killed in the war over Nagorno-Karabakh. A statue of Franz Werfel stands next to the Musa Dagh monument. An ethnographic museum presents life in the villages of Musa Dagh.
Landscape
When selecting the site, Mount Ararat and Mount Aragats were considered natural visual complements. The Musa-Ler monument stands on a hill above the village and overlooks the Ararat Plain. Musaler is located near Yerevan International Airport.
Commemoration and Customs
Commemorative events take place at the monument every year in mid-September. The Musaler compatriots’ association organizes the commemoration ceremony. During the ceremony, tents are set up around the monument, and participants spend the night there. The commemoration also includes songs and dances.
During the commemoration ceremony, Musaler harisa is prepared exclusively by men. The harisa served at the commemoration consists of wheat and lamb or chicken. It is cooked throughout the night, served in the morning, and distributed to everyone. The right to prepare the commemorative harisa belongs to 14 families and is passed from father to son.
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