Armavir is a province (marz) of Armenia with the capital in Armavir. It is in the west of the country, located in the Ararat valley, between Mount Ararat and Mount Aragats, and shares a 45-mile border with Turkey to the south and west. The province is the location of the Holy City of Echmiadzin which serves as the center of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the seat of the Catholicos of Armenia and of All Armenians. Also located in this region is the historic city of Sardarapat, site of the 1918 Battle of Sardarapat, a decisive event seen as not only stopping the Turkish advance into the rest of Armenia but also preventing the complete destruction of the Armenian nation.