Armenian Pantheon of Tbilisi
The main cluster of tombstones remaining at Khojivank, 2011.
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| Established | c. 1655 |
| Location | Tbilisi, Georgia |
| Coordinates | 41°41′54″N 44°49′07″E / 41.698333°N 44.818611°ECoordinates: 41°41′54″N 44°49′07″E / 41.698333°N 44.818611°E |
| Type | public |
| Owned by | Tbilisi Municipality |
The Armenian Pantheon of Tbilisi, also known as Khojivank (Armenian: Խոջիվանք; Georgian: ხოჯივანქი Khojivank'i; Russian: Ходживанк) or Khojavank (Armenian: Խոջավանք), is an Armenian architectural complex in north-eastern part of Avlabari district of Tbilisi, Georgia. Many notable Armenian writers, artists and public figures are buried there.
It formerly consisted of a huge memorial cemetery and the Holy Mother of God Armenian Church (St. Astvatsatsin church). The church and most part of the cemetery was destroyed in 1937, and most of the remaining part of the cemetery was destroyed between 1995 and 2004 during the construction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi Cathedral (also known as Sameba Cathedral). The tiny part that remains, together with some relocated gravestones, is preserved as the Armenian Pantheon of Tbilisi.
The area was given to Armenian Bebut-Bek of Bebutov family in 1612 by Shah Abbas by appropriate diploma. His son Aslan Meliq-Bebut, treasurer of Georgian king Rostom of Kartli enlarged the original cemetery, built pipes for bringing water here, planted a number of trees and in 1655 built St. Astvatsatin church, called Khojivank as a name of the founded, who was called by Georgian king Rostom - Khoja Bebut (Big Bebut). Later the cemetery was called Khojivank too. The building sign preserved and is kept in Historical-Ethnographic Museum of Tbilisi, which says: "In summer of Armenian year of 1104 with the wish of God I, Khoja Bebut and my brother Khatin and my wife Lali built this church of humble Aslan". St. Astvatsatsin church was dedicated to Saint Purple Mother of God, was circled in fence, had beautiful walls and had a blossoming garden beside. Later the diploma of Bebutovs was renewed by Teimuraz II and Erekle II.
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