The Locked Gates of History: Tehran’s Armenian Cemetery
Tehran — The historic Doulab Cemetery – a crucial piece of Iran’s cultural heritage – now stands closed to the general public.
This Armenian cemetery, which holds the remains of many significant historical figures, only permits entry to Armenian visitors and select tour groups, shuttering its gates to historians and those interested in Iran’s past.
Located along the Shahid Mahallati Highway near Imam Hassan Square, the cemetery covers 47,000 square meters.
At its heart stands the Mador Chapel, a modest structure where mourners have gathered for generations to bid farewell to their loved ones for generations.
The cemetery’s story begins with Ernest Cloquet, a French physician who served in the Qajar court under both Mohammad Shah and Naser al-Din Shah.
His burial in 1854 marked the first of many, with interments continuing until 1996.
Today, the cemetery bears witness to neglect. Cultural heritage officials and municipal authorities have left it to decay, with untamed weeds pushing through the grounds and broken branches scattered among the tombstones.
Dead leaves blanket the graves, painting a picture of abandonment. What was once a carefully maintained memorial ground has become a symbol of forgotten history, its stories locked away behind closed gates.
Many historical figures are buried in Doulab Cemetery, including Ovanes Ohanian, Iran’s first film director and founder of the country’s first acting school, Shahin Sarkissian, a pioneer of modern theater in Iran, and Alfred Jean Baptiste Lemaire, a French musician who composed Iran’s first national anthem during the Qajar era.
The tombstones feature unique carvings, including crosses, the Armenian alphabet, and comb-and-mirror motifs on women’s graves.
The authorities’ indifference has left this historic site in a state of abandonment. Marina, a member of the Armenian community visiting her grandparents’ graves, gestures toward the broken tree branches and dry leaves, saying, “Just look at the neglected state of the cemetery – it’s clear the municipality has no interest in cleaning or maintaining it.”
She recalls that at one point, the cemetery had become a gathering place for drug addicts, with used syringes scattered across the grounds.
However, a few years ago, a group of history enthusiasts took it upon themselves to clean the site and, after much effort, managed to secure limited access for guided tours.
Pointing to some gravestones, Marina adds, “Some pictures and symbols have been removed. This is the work of the government. They tried to erase the images and names of those they disliked, such as Vartan Salakhian, a member of the Tudeh Party.”
Few plain gravestones can be found in the cemetery; most are adorned with intricate engravings reflecting Iranian and Armenian culture, as well as political and artistic symbols. Marina explains, “That’s because the Armenians who were relocated to the Doulab district during the Zand dynasty were skilled stonemasons from Isfahan.”
The Doulab Cemetery includes sections belonging to countries such as Russia, Poland, France, and Italy.
Visiting these sections requires special permission from their respective embassies. The Armenian cemetery is just one part of the complex, and aside from the Armenian community, only a few select tour groups are granted access.
Recognized as a national heritage site in 2000, the cemetery is referred to by Christians as the “Armenian Garden.”
However, in recent years, rumors of its demolition and conversion into a public park have spread within the Armenian community, causing concern. The accuracy of these claims remains uncertain.
One person deeply troubled by these rumors is Armen, who traveled from the United States to Iran to visit his parents’ graves one last time.
Armen left Iran more than 20 years ago and has since been living in the U.S.
His parents died before his emigration and were buried in Doulab Cemetery. He hopes the site will never be demolished, saying, “For Armenians, this is not just a cemetery – it is a part of our history.”
