10 Most Famous Tombs In The World

Famous Tombs In The World

Visiting a cemetery is never an experience we’re looking for, and it’s rarely that a cemetery visit can count as a tourist attraction (with some exceptions like the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris or the Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires). But some graves standout from the rest. The next list includes ten world famous tombs and mausoleums which are considered to be major tourist attractions

1. Taj Mahal, Agra, India – This giant white marble mausoleum was built in the years 1632 till 1653, by the orders of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife. The Taj Mahal is most famous for its spectacular 35 meters tall (115 ft) marble dome built over the tomb. The Taj Mahal is the most famous monument in India and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Famous Tombs In The World: The Taj Mahal (source: wiki)

 

2. Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the Terracotta Army, Shaanxi, China – The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor was built over several decades, from 246 to 208 BCE. The huge mausoleum is spread over several kilometers in circumference, and the most famous feature of the complex is the remarkable Terracotta Army. Discovered only in 1974, the Terracotta Army is an immense collection of sculptures of soldiers, which purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife. The collection is spread over several pits which together include more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Famous Tombs In The World: The Terracotta Army (source: Jmhullot)

 

3. The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt – It’s hard to believe that such a massive structure is simply a mausoleum, but the Great Pyramid of Giza was built as a tomb for Pharaoh Khuf. It is the most famous pyramid in the world, the oldest and largest between the 3 pyramids of Giza, and it is also the oldest and the only still standing structure of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Great Pyramid was built around 2560 – 2540 BC, with a height of 146.5 meters (481 ft). The Pyramids of Giza are listed as cultural world heritage site

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Notable Pyramids In The World: The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

4. Lenin Mausoleum, Moscow, Russia – Located in Moscow’s Red Square, next to the Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum or Lenin’s tomb holds the embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin. The embalmed body has been in public display since shortly after Lenin’s death in 1924. The sarcophagus is kept at a temperature of 16 °C (61 °F) and kept at a humidity of 80% – 90%, and in addition to daily preservation work done on the corps, it is also removed every 18 months to undergo a chemical bath

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Famous Tombs In The World: Lenin Mausoleum (source: Andrew Shiva)

 

5. Castel Sant’Angelo (Mausoleum of Hadrian) – This impressive fortress on the Tiber River was designed by the Emperor Hadrian to be used as a mausoleum for himself and his family. His ashes were placed here after his death along with those of his wife and son. The remains of later emperors were also placed here. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The castel was once the tallest building in Rome, and today it still rises above the city with beautiful views, and is considered to be one of Rome’s prime attractions

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Famous Tombs In The World: Castel Sant’Angelo (source: wiki)

 

6. Tomb of Jesus, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, Israel – Also called the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, or the Church of the Resurrection, this world famous church is located within the Christian Quarter of the old city of Jerusalem. The site is located on the Hill of Calvary (Golgotha) where Jesus was believed to be crucified. The church contains the Sepulchre – the believed to be tomb of Jesus. For many Christians the site is the most important pilgrimage site since even before the 4th century

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Famous Tombs In The World: Church of the Holy Sepulchre (source: Berthold Werner)

 

7. Tomb of Cyrus, Pasargad, Iran – Cyrus the Great was the founder and ruler of the vast Persian Empire in the 6th century BC. The tomb that is located just outside of Pasargadae, the ancient capital of Persia, is believed to be his tomb. The site was visited by Alexander the Great in the late 4th century B.C, and it is said that Alexander the Great was convinced that he found the tomb of Cyrus. According to these descriptions, inside the limestone mausoleum that we see today there was a gold sarcophagus, but that content was probably stolen long ago

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Famous Tombs In The World: Tomb of Cyrus

 

8. Shah-i-Zinda, Samarkand, Uzbekistan – Shah-i-Zinda or “The living king” is a famous complex of three groups of structures. Some of these structures date back to the 11th and 12th centuries, while others are from a later period in the 14th or 15th centuries. The complex includes the mausoleums of Kusam ibn Abbas, the cousin of the prophet Muhammad

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Famous Tombs In The World: Shah-i-Zinda

9. Tomb of Jahangir, Punjab, Pakistan – The impressive Tomb of Jahangir is is the mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir who ruled the empire from 1605 till 1627. This famous mausoleum was built by his son ten years after his father’s death. The structure stands in the middle of a garden and has four 30 meters (98 ft) tall minarets. Inside the mausoleum stands the elevated sarcophagus made of white marble and beautifully decorated

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Famous Tombs In The World: Tomb of Jahangir (source: Muhammad Atique Alam)

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Famous Tombs In The World: Tomb of Jahangir (source: M Kaiser Tufail)

 

10. Mausoleum of the Shirvanshahs, Baku, Azerbaijan – The Mausoleum of the Shirvanshahs is part of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated within Baku. The mausoleum is rectangular in shape and beautifully decorated. It was built by the orders of Sultan Khalilullah I for his mother and son in the 15th century

Famous Tombs In The World

Most Famous Tombs In The World: Mausoleum of the Shirvanshahs

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