Cultural heritage can be made up of both physical forms as well as intangible forms. Some physical artifacts may include cultural belongings such as paintings, books, writings, and sculptures. Unlike these physical artifacts, intangible forms of cultural property cannot be touched. These attributes may include music, language, dance, technology, theater, food, etc. In the text “What is cultural heritage?”, the author Elena Franchi states that she describes cultural heritage as something that consists of “culture, values, and traditions”, and that it implies a “shared bond, our belonging to a community.” She speaks about how cultural heritage represents our “history and our identity; our bond to the past, to our present, and the future.” This shows what a significant role culture plays in the development of one’s identity and how it shapes people to become the way they are. An intangible aspect of cultural heritage within my own family is history. My parents and family were born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia. Armenia’s history is a major feature and part of Armenian culture. More specifically, the Armenian Genocide is one of the most major historical events that effects people till this day. The Armenian genocide was the massacre of 1.5 million Armenian people living in the Ottoman Empire during World War I in 1915. The young muslim Turks sought to dominate the eastern Anatolia region through murdering Armenians and getting rid of any sort of Armenian presence. Widely known as the “Tsitsernakaberd” in the Armenian language, is a memorial that was built in the city of Yerevan in 1967 dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide. Every year on April 24th thousands of people gather at the memorial to pay tribute to the loved ones that had been lost during those sorrowful times. My mother was actually named after her great aunt who was kidnapped by a muslim Turk as a child and was never found again. Not only do people remember this day in Armenia, but there is a large Armenian community here in New York where we gather around in Time Square every year on April 24th and commemorate the victims. Although it is not a positive aspect of our culture, the horror stories of the genocide have been passed down from generation to generation and is a really big part of Armenian identity.