On April 1, 2007, during construction work on the grounds of the Quba city stadium, a mass grave was discovered. Starting from July of the same year, archaeological research began on the site — covering an area of 514 square meters — conducted by specialists from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. As a result of the excavations, two wells and two canals filled with human remains were uncovered. In September 2008, the research was completed, and it was determined that the mass grave was directly connected to the 1918 genocide perpetrated by Armenian armed groups against the local civilian population. On December 30, 2009, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the establishment of the Genocide Memorial Complex in Quba. With the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the memorial was built on the left bank of the Gudyalchay River and was officially inaugurated on September 18, 2013. The opening ceremony was attended by President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva. The 3.5-hectare complex consists of five sections:
- Memorial Monument
- Symbolic Cemetery
- Genocide Museum
- Flag Square
- Information Center
It is worth noting that since its opening, the Genocide Memorial Complex has been visited by over 1 million people, including more than 200,000 foreign visitors. Detailed information is provided to both local and international guests in four languages: Azerbaijani, Russian, English, and Arabic.
