Mtatsminda Pantheon, Memorial cemetery on Mtatsminda mountain slope in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Mtatsminda Pantheon is a necropolis on the slope of Mount Mtatsminda in Tbilisi, laid out around the Church of Saint David "Mamadaviti". Its graves and monuments, some carved by sculptors such as Yakov Nikoladze and Eleonora Amashukeli, stand on terraces beside the church.
The idea of a pantheon on Mtatsminda arose in 1915, during the funeral of poet Akaki Tsereteli. It opened in 1929, the centenary of Alexander Griboedov's death in Iran; Griboedov, buried at the Church of Saint David in 1829, was the first notable interment. Later reburials include Nikoloz Baratashvili (1938) and Zviad Gamsakhurdia (2007).
The pantheon takes its name from Mtatsminda, Georgian for "Holy Mountain", and stands beside Saint David's Church, called Mamadaviti. Its graves are marked by works of sculptors such as Yakov Nikoladze and Santino Campioni. On 21 September 2011 a memorial to writers and artists repressed in 1937 was unveiled, bearing the names of Sandro Akhmeteli, Titsian Tabidze and Mikheil Javakhishvili.
The cemetery sits on a steep mountainside with multiple staircases and winding paths that require physical effort to navigate. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and plan extra time to reach all areas of the site.
The pantheon opened in 1929 on the centenary of Alexander Griboyedov's death in Iran; his grave, with that of his wife Nino Chavchavadze, is the site's earliest notable burial. In 2011 a memorial was added for six writers and artists repressed in 1937 whose graves are unknown, including Sandro Akhmeteli and Mikheil Javakhishvili.
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