The concept of a tomb-tower is pre-Islamic in date. Freestanding constructions dedicated to individuals are found throughout the Near East in the last centuries of the first millenium BC. In early Islam, tower-tombs or gunbads translated from old Persian as mausoleums appear to have originated in Iran. Some scientists suggested that they should have been attributed to the nomadic people of Central Asia who came to rule over Persia and later Anatolia.
The Gunbad-e Cabus in north-east Iran is not only the earliest dated example, it is also one of the most impressive early Islamic mausoleums in the world. Standing an incredible 61 m high, it has a conical roof and a flanged plan. The building of this mausoleum is shrouded in mystery. It is one of the ancient wonders and famous memorials of the world. Even today, it is the tallest pure-brick tower in the world. Mausoleum was built on such a scientific and architectural design that at the front of the tomb-tower, at an external circle, one can hear one’s echo.
There is an ancient inscription at the bottom of the tomb-tower. It states that this famous tomb has been built for for the prince Shams ul-Ma’ali, Amir Qabus ibn Wushmgir during his life. This was a sultan from the powerful dynasty of Ziyarid rulers. The ancient writers tell us that the sultan’s body was put in a massive glass coffin which was suspended from the ceiling of the tomb-tower.
Between 135 AD and 139 AD on the right bank of the river Tiber Romans constructed the most beautiful mausoleum for their emperor Hadrian. Originally it was a just an ornamented and decorated cylinder, with a garden top and a funeral monument of a golden chariot drawn by four horses abreast. This great mausoleum became the final resting place for the ashes of Hadrian, his wife Sabrina and his adopted son Lucius Aelius. The Hadrian mausoleum became such a famous place that until 217 AD the remains of all succeeding emperors were also placed here. Their ashes were placed deep within the construction. Straight onto the mausoleum emperor Hadrian built amazing bridge that still provides a scenic approach from the center of the modern Rome. And this is bridge is still named Pons Aelius in honor of Hadrian whose full name was Publius Aelius Hadrianus.
The Mausoleum of Hadrian survived through decline of Roman Empire, attacks of Visigoths and Goths. Urns and ashes of emperors were scattered, statues were demolished and much of the tomb complex and decoration was lost. Later, the burial site and memorial park became part of Papal lands, and the popes converted mausoleum complex into a castle that we now today also as Sant’Angelo Castle. Throughout Middle Ages popes used the castle as a hiding place and refuge during the siege of Rome. For a century Sant’Angelo Castle was also used as papal prison – famous philosopher, mathematician and astronomer Giordano Bruno, was imprisoned there for six years.
In September 1969 leader of North Vietnam Ho Chi Minh died at his home in Hanoi at age 79 from heart failure. Ho Chi Minh left a will in which he expressed a wish to be cremated and to have his ashes scattered in the hills of north, central, and southern Vietnam. But as the cult of his personality was bing in Vietnam his successors went against his wishes and built a large memorial complex with Lenin-style mausoleum in Hanoi.
Mausoleum construction went on for several years and was finally completed in 1975. It s a huge 22 meters high, gray granite mausoleum on the outside with gray, black and red stone interior. The tomb complex carries Oriental architectural elements, such as the sloping roof. The memorial park and gardens surrounding the mausoleum have nearly 250 different species of plants and flowers, all from different areas of Vietnam.
It is a famous memorial place for Vietnamese people. The surrounding area is a usual place for parades. The plaza in front of the mausoleum is divided into 240 green squares separated by pathways. There are two platforms built in on the sides of the mausoleums for parade viewing by government and party officials.
The cool central part of the mausoleum interior contains the famous glass tomb with Ho Chi Minh’s body. Military honor guard keeps watch here.
Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum is open to public however there are some strange peculiarities in the rules regarding dress and behavior. For example, female visitors can not wear miniskirts, so their legs must be covered at all times. This means that male and female visitors can not wear shorts either.
Nobody is allowed to take photos inside the mausoleum. No talks, videotaping are not permitted as well.
The Kumsusan Memorial Palace is located in a very secluded area in Pyongyang, North Korea. It used to be the former official residence and office of the North Korean despot Kim Il-sung. As all tyrants he had extreme paranoia and was scared that somebody would topple him and take over the power he was craving for so much. Even today Kumsusan Memorial Palace is fronted by a massive square and bordered on its northern and eastern sides by a large moat.
Even after Kim Il-sung death his palace remained in his possession. Kim Jong-Il a new tyrant, his son and successor turned the whole place in a mausoleum. Kim Joing-Il renovated and transformed the palace into his father’s final resting place. Inside the palace, Kim Il-sung’s embalmed body lies viewable inside a clearglass sarcophagus. His head rests on a special little Korean-style pillow and his body is covered by the flag of the Workers Party of Korea.
However, peculiar it may seem, Koreans are not allowed to visit Kim Il-sung mausoleum. So they can’t cross the moat and enter the area. Only foreigners, from whom dictator was keeping his people in isolation, can visit the memorial complex and view mausoleum. But even foreigners can not photograph, videotape and even whisper anywhere inside Kim Il-sung mausoleum.
City of the Dead is not just the name of several horror movies, this place actually exists. It is a four miles long area stretching from northern to southern part of Cairo, Egypt. City of the Dead is a weird hybrid of a gigantic cemetery with funeral monuments, tombs and mausoleums, and a home to people who live and work among their dead ancestors.
City of the Dead has old funeral traditions and in some ways it is a unique place of funeral alternatives as well. This historical necropolis dates back to the 7th century AD. Many famous Arab emirs and Mamluk rulers are buried here. In Middle Ages hundreds of custodians who were looking after noble burial monuments and family mausoleums.
Even after the conquest of Egypt by Ottomans City of the Dead still served as a place where the new governors – pashas chose to make this place their final resting place.
However, as the years rolled by, prestige of City of the Dead declined. Many impoverished Egyptians from overcrowded Cairo, peasants and farmers from nearby villages moved in settled right among the dead.
If you like history and classical music and accidentally find yourself in Austria, you would, probably, want to visit the burial plots of such famous composers as Beethoven, Brahms, Gluck and Strauss. The good thing is you won’t have to go through various places as their burial plots are located located in one and the same cemetery named Zentralfriedhof.
This largest and most famous Austrian cemetery is situated in Vienna and spans 2.4 square kilometers. Zentralfriedhof opened in 1874. It is the second largest European cemetery after Hamburg’s Ohlsdorf Cemetery which spans over 4 square kilometers in Germany. However, as of today Zentralfriedhof has almost 3,5 million dead people buried there, which makes it the the first one in Europe because it is largest by number of interred people.
Zentralfriedhof consists of Catholic, Protestant, Russian Orthodox and Jewish cemeteries. It is a part of European cultural heritage. Among upright headstones, mausoleums, big and small memorial monuments, one can find grave markers of famous architects, aviation pioneers, poets and writers, actors and opera singers. The video presents the cemetery with the tribute to famous rock singer Falco from the 80s who was also buried here.
Mausoleum of Augustus. Drawing by Etienne Du Pérac from 1575
Among unique memorials, famous monuments and other numerous landmarks of Rome, there is a place that we know under the name Mausoleum of Augustus. This large tomb complex was one of the first projects started by Roman Emeror Augustus after his victory over combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC. Mausoleum construction began soon after the Battle of Actium and was completed in 28 BC. This large tomb complex was 295 feet in diameter by 137 feet in height. Mausoleum had circular shape with concentric rings and a conical roof upon which Romans set up a huge status of Augustus.
Even by standards of past and present mausoleum pricing was enormous. Roman viewed this mausoleum as a place of respect and prestige. No wonder, that, eventually, the final resting place of Augustus and imperial family of the time became a burial site of members of Julio-Claudian dynasty. Golden urns with ashes of Roman emperors, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius were enshrined in the burial chamber deep inside the mausoleum. Emperor Nerva who did not even belong to that family was the last prominent ruler whose remains were brought there.
Time and people turned the landmark and its mausoleum into a place of impressive ruins. During the sack of Rome in 410 AD, barbaric Goths stole the golden urns and scattered the ashes. They did not destroy, though, the structure of the mausoleum itself. However, in Middle Ages a powerful Roman noble family Colonna turned the place into a castle. The family lost its power and was banished from the city in 12 century. Former mausoleum of Augustus, then castle was dismantled and became a ruin.
Today the landmark is closed to tourists and Italian authorities make serious attempts at restoration of the Mausoleum of Augustus. They face certain difficulties like the mausoleum cost of restoration and lack of architectural plan of the original memorial park.
They were so different characters… And most defnitely stars of black and white movies. Each of them rose to stardom in Hollywood and all over the world. And all ended their days in the same place: in on the main level of the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Great Mausoleum in Glendale, California. Just steps away from each other entombed in their private mausoleums. So rest in peace Carole Lombard, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Irving Thalberg, Norma Shearer and Marie Dressler.
Many interment locations in the Forest Lawn Memorial are kept from any intrusion. Many important people and celebrities found their last haven here. Among them are also Humphrey Bogart, Lon Chaney and Mary Pickford. Their burial places are secluded in private gated gardens with no public access.
There is a beautiful family mausoleum complex surrounded by statues and top monuments in Hangzhou, China. This beautiful memorial park has tombs of a father and a son who lived in the 12the century. The entombment is dedicated to the famous Chinese poet and general Yue Fei who serves as a model of loyalty and patriotism in Chinese culture.
Famous sculptors, craftsment and architects worked on this priceless mausoleum. However, it is not an actual burial site and the final resting place of a famous general and his son Yue Yun. It is a place where Chinese people come to pay their respect to their hero.
In fact, throughout the centuries a lot of legends and myths were added to Yue Fei. Some of the describe him as a man of supernatural strength who was blessed by immortals. But we do know that Yue Fei was from a humble background and concisously patterned his life after famous Chinese heroes of the past.
General Yue Fei was an avid reader of military classics a scholar and a true gentleman. He won many military campaigns for the Chinese Song Kingdom fighting against invaders for many years. New emperor Gaozong paid him back for all his bravery by treacherously murdering Yue Fei and his son on false charges.
Later general’s honor was restored and people gave him the name Loyal Hero. A famous quote from his poetry known to every Chinese person says “Return my rivers and mountains”.
The private mausoleum of Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses The Great is located in the Valley of the Kings. This final resting place of a God-King bears the cryptic for a burial site name – Tomb KV7.
There is not really much left of the burial chamber – flash floods damaged it badly destroying much of the decoration beyond repair. None of the famous monuments erected by mausoleum architects survived either.
However, Ramesses II still lucked out because his mummy is still safe and sound. It is exhibited in the Cairo’s Egyptian Museum. How did it happen?
It turns out that Tomb KV7 did not have pharaoh’s body for thousands of years. In fact, the mummy was found by archeologists in another location quite by chance.
Several centuries passed after Ramesses died. The looting of the ancient tombs was on the rise. Egyptian priests decided to take drastic measures in order to preserve mummies of the great pharaohs. They developed a big plan that can easily be used as a plot of a great detective story.
Priests removed pharaoh from the tomb, rewrapped it all over again and transferred it to the tomb of the queen Amhose Inhapy from the 17th dynasty of ancient Egypt. But, obviously, it was not good enough, as within 72 hours priests removed Ramessess from that burial site and placed it in the tomb of High Priest of Amun at Thebes, named Pinedjem II who died in 10th century B.C.
We learned about these multiple reburials because priests recorded them in hieroglyphics on the linen covering the mummy of Ramesses. Yet, this is not the end of the story. Driven by unknown to us events, priests gathered the whole pile of other mummies and left it in the same tomb. When it was discovered in 1881 archeologists discovered other famous pharaohs of 18th and 19th dynasties, including the mummy of Ramesses’ own father.
The discovery of this unintentional family mausoleum led to the largest studies of famous pharaohs. Thanks to this massive entombment we know how the most powerful pharaohs looked like and even establish the cause of death.
Mausoleum is a building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person. Its plural form is mausolea, although in America we commonly use for plural - mausoleums. What is the origin of the word? It was derived from the name of King Mausollos, ruler of ancient kingdom of Caria. His tomb - Mausoleum - was such an architectural marvel that it was considered to be the greatest aesthetic triumph. Ancients thought of it as the highest achievement and called it one of the Seven Wonders of the Word.
