Not a Chain. Not a Corporation. Your Neighbors. Your Community.
Since 1885, Ararat Armenian Cemetery has stood as a lasting part of Fresno’s Armenian community. What began as a small section of land purchased by the community has grown into Ararat and Masis Ararat Armenian Cemeteries, preserving generations of Armenian history in the Central Valley.
For more than a century, these grounds have served as a place of remembrance for families, community leaders, artists, veterans, pioneers, and others whose lives helped shape Fresno and its Armenian community. Their stories remain an important part of the history preserved here.
Today, we continue our mission of serving families with compassion while honoring the memories of those who came before us. We are proud to provide a place where families can remember their loved ones, explore their shared history, and pass those stories from one generation to the next.
140+
Years Serving Our Community
22,000+
Families Honored
600+
Veterans at Rest
Coming Soon
A New Partnership Rooted in Shared Values
Growing Our Community
Collaborating With a Historic Chinese-American Cemetery
We are proud to announce an ongoing collaboration and partnership with a historic Chinese-American cemetery community in our region. This connection reflects our deepest values: honoring every heritage, preserving every story, and welcoming every family.
The history of Chinese immigrants in California is inseparable from the history of California itself. We believe these stories deserve to be preserved with the same reverence as any other, and we look forward to sharing more about this partnership very soon.
History & Heritage
Monuments, Stories & Those We Honor
Our grounds are more than a place of rest — they are a living record of community, sacrifice, and connection across generations.
1896-1960
Soghomon Tehlirian Monument
Soghomon Tehlirian, born in 1896 in Armenia, survived the Armenian Genocide, during which his family was killed. He later joined Operation Nemesis and assassinated Talaat Pasha, a principal architect of the Genocide, in Berlin in 1921. Tehlirian was acquitted of murder after his trial focused on the atrocities he had experienced. He later settled in San Francisco and died in 1960. He is buried at Masis Ararat Armenian Cemetery beneath a monument honoring him as a national hero.
1908-1981
William Saroyan
William Saroyan, born in Fresno in 1908 to Armenian immigrant parents, overcame a difficult childhood to become one of the most prominent American writers of the 20th century. His work often reflected his Armenian American heritage and life in California’s Central San Joaquin Valley, earning him national recognition and an Academy Award. Half of his ashes are buried at Ararat Armenian Cemetery alongside his daughter, Lucy Saroyan, while the other half are interred in Yerevan, Armenia.
1930
The Monument to the Unknown Martyr
The Monument to the Unknown Martyr at Ararat Armenian Cemetery honors the victims of the Armenian Genocide. In 1930, Rev. M.G. Papazian brought the remains of an Unknown Martyr from the Der El-Zor Desert, where hundreds of thousands of Armenians perished. A monument was later donated in 1968, and annual Hokehankist services continue to honor the victims. The monument is located near the cemetery’s flagpole.
1915
Forty Days of Mousa Ler Monument
The Forty Days of Mousa Ler Monument commemorates the village of Mousa Ler, Lebanon, where Armenian villagers refused deportation orders by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Villagers fought off the Turks for nearly two months, eventually being rescued by a French warship in September 1915. Descendants of leaders of the Mousa Ler resistance and Mousa Ler villagers reside in Fresno and funded the construction of this monument to honor their ancestors and their home.
1957 – 1993
Monte Melkonian
Monte Melkonian was born in Visalia, CA. He devoted his life to fighting for the freedom of Armenians. Monte Melkonian was instrumental in building a skilled army for the newly independent state of Armenia in the post-Soviet era, leading a force of over 4,000 Armenian fighters in defending Karabakh from Azerbaijan in 1993. Monte Melkonian lost his life in this fight on June 12, 1993, and is buried in Yerevan. His parents, Charles & Zabel Melkonian, are buried in Ararat Armenian Cemetery. A monument in honor of Monte Melkonian is being built in Masis Ararat Armenian Cemetery.
Why Ararat & Masis
Why Families Choose to Be Honored Here
Connection to History
Rest among the founders, the veterans, and the community builders who shaped this valley. Each name on our grounds is part of a living story.
Close to Those You Know
Many families choose Ararat and Masis because someone they love is already here. Being near each other, even in rest, matters.
Beautiful, Maintained Grounds
20 acres of carefully tended lawn and mature trees create a setting worthy of lasting remembrance.
Nonprofit Serving the Armenian Community
Locally owned. Every decision we make serves Fresno’s Armenian community.
