The museum of Sardarapat is near the important  XIX c. fortress of Sardarapat, which was built around 1810 with British technical assistance using stones taken from the ruins of ancient Armavir (ancient capital of Armenia), some still bearing traces of cuneiform inscriptions. The battle monument of Sardarapat commemorates the Armenian defeat of the invading Turkish army, May 20-22, 1918. Massive Assyrian-style winged lions guard the monument. The Sardarapat museum is highly attractive. The ground floor central hall contains commemorative material from the battle. The lower galleries present archaeological materials from Neolithic to Medieval, and implements for various traditional handicrafts. Upstairs are exhibits of carpets and embroidery, modern Armenian decorative ceramics, and jewelry.