Along Avenue du 24 Avril 1915 a somber monument stands. It remembers the Armenian Genocide. Avenue du 24 Avril 1915 in Marseille is more than just a road. It’s a poignant reminder. It’s a memorial to a dark chapter in history. The avenue is about 1.48 kilometers long. It runs through the 12th arrondissement. This area is known as Beaumont. Beaumont is considered Marseille’s main Armenian neighborhood. Avenue du 24 Avril 1915 is its central artery.
The avenue connects the Saint- Barnabé and Saint-Julien neighborhoods. It intersects Marseille’s ring road to the west. Buses from the Régie des Transports Marseillais use this avenue. The name itself is significant. It commemorates April 24 1915. That day marked the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. Intellectuals were rounded up in Constantinople. This tragic event prompted the renaming of the old Avenue Saint-Julien.
A council decision led to the change. The new name Avenue du 24 Avril 1915 became official. The memorial itself is remarkable. It resembles the Tsitsernakaberd monument in Yerevan. This is located at the beginning of the avenue. The Marseille memorial was inaugurated in 2006. It cost 600 000 euros. The funding came entirely from public sources. The memorial is a circle of stone. It’s 21 meters in diameter. Twelve stones surround a central flame. This design mirrors the Yerevan memorial. The memorial’s presence transforms Avenue du 24 Avril 1915. It serves as a place for reflection and remembrance. More than just a thoroughfare it’s a place of deep historical significance. It keeps the memory of the Armenian Genocide alive in Marseille.