Who we are
Aramgah Memorial Garden Foundation (AMG), or "Aramgah" for short, is a nonprofit organization established in April 1986 following a few unfortunate incidents that took a toll on the Iranian community. It is registered in the State of Pennsylvania and governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees.
Aramgah is located within White Marsh Memorial Park at 1169 Limekiln Pike, Ambler, PA 19002. According to its agreement with White Marsh, it has secured a total of 2,000 burial lots for its members, comprised of two sections:
Islamic Garden
Strictly reserved for Iranians (as Regular Members) and non-Iranians (as Associate Members), both with Moslem faith.
Persian Garden
Allocated to Iranian Moslems and their non-Moslem relatives (as Regular Members) and non-Moslem Iranians (as Associate Members).
Governance
According to Aramgah's by-laws, Aramgah is governed by a group of nine trustee members, elected for a term of three years by its Regular Members at the General Meeting. Aramgah's daily management is entrusted to three executives — the President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer — who are elected for a term of three years by the Board of Trustees.
All Trustees of Aramgah and its executives are volunteers and receive no compensation for their time and service.
View the Current Board of TrusteesMembership
Regular Membership
Open to all Iranian Moslems, with their Moslem and non-Moslem immediate families.
Associate Membership
Designed for all non-Moslem Iranians and non-Iranian Moslems.
Both categories are subject to a membership fee and approval of the Board of Trustees. Only Regular Members have voting rights at Aramgah's general meeting.
Current lot price and fees
| Item | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| One-time membership fee | $100.00 |
| Single lot price | $2,000.00 |
| Lot assignment (per assignment) | $70.00 |
Important notes
Prices and fees may change at any time without notice.
Aramgah's only responsibility is to arrange for the assignment of burial lots. Other services — such as preparing the deceased for burial (traditional shrouding), groundbreaking, and related services — may be provided by funeral homes and White Marsh and charged separately. For details, see Funeral Services & Guide and Rules & Regulations.
A promise made in 1983
In 1982, after an Iranian family living in the Philadelphia area lost their loved one, the family was looking for a cemetery with a dedicated section for Moslems where he could be buried in the traditional Islamic way. They ended up taking him to Washington, DC, where they could find a suitable cemetery. In the following year, the same problem was experienced again.
In 1983, Dr. Akbar Bonakdarpour, Mr. Manouchehr Nikpour, and Mr. Fereydoon Rabii began to seek a suitable site for an Islamic cemetery. After locating a possible site at Ambler, on the outskirts of Philadelphia (Whitemarsh Memorial Park), they invited several other Iranians to help establish an Islamic cemetery for Iranians and formed the Aramgah Memorial Garden Foundation. The group agreed that the Garden should be divided into two sections: one exclusively for the use of Iranian Moslems, called the Islamic Garden, and one reserved for Iranian Moslems and their non-Moslem relatives, called the Persian Garden. Aramgah Memorial Garden Foundation was officially registered in April 1986 as a nonprofit organization.
On May 21, 1986, a group of 18 people met and selected 9 trustees. The trustees then selected three from amongst themselves as executive officers: Dr. Bonakdarpour as President, Mr. Rabii as Secretary, and Dr. Mohammad Rowghani as Treasurer. Hence, Aramgah was born.
The founders
Dr. Akbar Bonakdarpour
1929 – 2020
Mr. Manouchehr Nikpour
1924 – 2024
Mr. Fereydoon Rabii
1933 – 2025
Securing the land
Aramgah then negotiated an agreement with Whitemarsh to secure a plot with a capacity for 2,000 lots. Negotiations were prolonged and difficult, but the final agreement with Whitemarsh included the reservation of a plot of land with the capacity for 600 lots for 25 years. Aramgah was required to purchase at least 100 lots at the outset. In addition, to secure and reserve a larger plot of land with capacity for 2,000 lots in perpetuity, Aramgah was required to purchase at least 600 lots within 25 years.
The responsibility of preparing the layout of the Garden — and positioning the lots in accordance with Islamic requirements so that the buried would face Mecca — was entrusted to Mr. Rabii. He prepared the present layout of Aramgah after contacting the National Geographic Society for proper orientation and obtaining the exact angle from Whitemarsh to Mecca. Dr. Bonakdarpour visited the Grand Ayatollah Golpayegani to ensure that Aramgah's Islamic section was in every respect set up in accordance with Islamic requirements for an Islamic cemetery.
The 2001 purchase
In 2001, Aramgah's deadline for the purchase of the required additional lots was nearing its end, and the Trustee Members were concerned about losing the right to the balance of the larger plot of land accommodating 2,000 lots. After much discussion and thought, it was decided to raise a loan to secure the larger plot in perpetuity. Using the personal credit of six board members, Aramgah was able to secure a $100,000 interest-free loan from the Alavi Foundation and purchase additional lots. This purchase brought the total number of lots purchased from Whitemarsh to 601 and secured the entire plot of land containing 2,000 lots in perpetuity for use by Aramgah. Accordingly, both the Islamic Garden and the Persian Garden sections gained substantial extensions. Aramgah was able to repay its interest-free loan in less than six years.
The Prayer Stone and water
Following repeated requests by Aramgah members regarding the erection of a Prayer Stone and the availability of water at the site — and after years of discussion — these two projects were approved by majority vote of the Board of Trustees and accomplished through Aramgah's fund and generous donations by our community members. According to the agreement between Aramgah and Whitemarsh, the maintenance and monthly cost of water use will be provided by Whitemarsh indefinitely.
A stable, democratic organization
Aramgah has continued to function as a democratically run and stable organization. There have been several elections, and many of the members have served as Trustees of Aramgah — all as volunteers. The by-laws have been amended over time, with the most notable revision allowing the burial of all Moslems in the extension of the Islamic Garden section, and the burial of all Iranians in the extension of the Persian Garden section of Aramgah.