Komitas Pantheon

Resting place of Armenia's great artists and writers

Area Yerevan
Type Memorial
Time needed 30m

The Komitas Pantheon is the cemetery where many of Armenia's leading composers, writers, actors and scholars are buried, named after the musicologist Komitas. It sits in a walled park a short way west of the centre, and the monuments themselves are the attraction.

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Getting there

Roughly 3 km from Republic Square, about 3 minutes by road, and walkable from the western part of the centre.

What you see

The graves are marked by commissioned sculpture rather than standard headstones, so the site reads as an open-air collection of twentieth-century Armenian memorial art. Komitas, Aram Khachaturian, William Saroyan and Yervand Kochar are among those buried here. Paths are shaded by old trees and the place is almost always quiet.

What to pair it with

Combine with Mother Armenia and Victory Park on the heights, or with the city-centre sights on the way back.

When to go

Mornings and late afternoons, and best in spring or autumn. Snow and mud make the paths unpleasant in deep winter.

What is hard about it

Inscriptions are almost entirely in Armenian, so without a guide or some background the names will not mean much. It is a working cemetery and should be treated as one.

Common questions

Who is buried here?

Komitas, Aram Khachaturian, William Saroyan, Yervand Kochar and many other figures from Armenian arts and letters.

Is there an entrance fee?

Entry is normally free. [VERIFY — confirm current details]

Is it worth going without a guide?

The sculpture is worth seeing in itself, but a guide or a prepared list of names makes the visit considerably richer.