Wadi Al-Salaam cemetery, located in Najaf, Iraq, is the world’s largest cemetery measuring 917 hectares. The cemetery, dated more than 1400 years ago is estimated to hold approximately five million bodies and continues to receive hundreds of bodies every year making it second to no other in the world. Heritage. Wadi Al-Salaam, which means “valley of peace” in Arabic, holds the remains of some of the most prominent Islamic figures, religious leaders, clerics, political leaders, and ordinary citizens. The cemetery which is located close to the holy shrine of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib attracts millions of Muslims, especially the Shi’a Muslims of Iraq, with most of the population requesting to be buried there. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib was Prophet Muhammad’s …show more content…
It holds remains of prophets, noble kings, princes, sultans, and most revered religious leaders as well as ordinary people. Some of the graves are built with bricks and plaster and rise up to ten feet high. There are tombstones that are room size that used to be built by people of high social class, and there are underground burial vaults as well that one can only access by a ladder. The tall graves used to be built as such so that people from the neighborhoods could see them. The unique graves dating hundreds of years ago remain to date though some have been destroyed during the civil war. Many more diverse graves continue to be established alongside the ancient ones making the cemetery a rich source of both culture and modernity. Religious Symbol The Shiite communities of Iraq hold belief that all the souls of the faithful shall be moved to the graveyard regardless of where their bodies were buried. Religious rituals are known to be performed at the cemetery with Quran verses being recited and this depicts the level of importance attached to the graveside. The war in Iraq in recent years has led to an enormous growth of the cemetery with many people who die in the cities being buried
In the midst of one of the busiest cities in the world, there lies a sanctuary. There lies an area where all men are equal, where poverty is non-existent, where all men are united under two things; the first being death and the second being America. Arlington National Cemetery is a tribute to all of the fallen heroes, the patriots, the soldiers, the pioneers, all who have cried American tears. I have been forever changed since visiting Arlington National Cemetery and it is a visit that every American should make. The statistics are truly mind-numbing, as more than four hundred thousand people have been buried at Arlington National Cemetery since the 1860s.
Thousands of headstones in the far distance create magnificent mazes against the horizon. The immense land has very little room to spare as it is overflowing with graves of heroic soldiers. The white marble graves are like oversized dominos stacked precisely in the thick wind ruffled grass. It is almost inconceivable to imagine each tomb is the physical eternal home to a once courageous and patriotic warrior of our homeland. As the fireball in the heavens slowly descends, it creates a glorious silhouette of the infinite number of tombstones.
...mber of population under the Muslim category until the 20th century therefore there is not a lot of gravestones that can be analysed.
With a strong 150 year legacy, Crown Hill Cemetery is one of the historical sites in Indiana that reflects upon the heritage of its citizens. This cemetery is the nations third largest non-government cemetery. During the Civil War back in 1863 was the when Crown Hill cemetery was founded. It is a very unique site for its historical context and size. It serves many families in Indiana with funeral homes services and historical backgrounds. If visited you will begin to notice and understand how the cemetery is a great place of reflection and education for thousands of its visitors who attend the cemetery every year. The few words that could describe the atmosphere of Crown Hill would be beautiful, articulate, reverence and peace. No other cite in Indianapolis offers such high level of serenity and great historical architect such as Crown Hill Cemetery.
In the documentary, Hallowed Grounds, it explains the twenty two United States military cemeteries in eight countries following the path of World War I and World War II. These military cemeteries are located in England, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, Tunisia, and the Philippines. During these two wars, approximately seventy thousand people had laid died in foreign countries. Sixty percent of the American soldiers’ families wanted for their remains to be brought back and buried and the other forty percent of the American soldiers’ families wanted their remains to remain overseas and buried. Many of the American soldiers had died overseas, from wounds against France, and from the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918.
Transcribed on the entrance of the Parisian Catacombs are the words, “Arrete! C’est ici l’empire de la Mort.” Translated to English, this means, “Stop! This is the empire of the Dead”(Gup). Past this interesting transcription lies the largest ossuary in the world (Geisweiller). Containing six million bodies and bones, this is more massive than the largest cemetery on Earth, the Wadi Al-Salaam, which contains over five million bodies (Wright). Some people go into Paris for the sole purpose of venturing into these Catacombs, some more devoted than others. While catacombs can easily be connected to cemeteries, their complex histories, structures, and audiences are harder to explain.
After the impressive innovation of pyramids through Egypt’s Old Kingdom phase during 2575-2040 BCE, the construction of Tomb of Ti took place in Saqqara, Egypt. Saqqara served as the necropolis, or city of the dead, for Egypt’s capital of Memphis at the time. The tomb belonged to the royal family of the fifth dynasty official Ti and provided an excellent source of evidence for what daily life was like in the Old Kingdom through narrative artwork of painted reliefs. Nevertheless, the tomb serves the same purpose as others in the surrounding area to assist a spirit of the deceased into the afterlife, but the Tomb of Ti has its own unique aesthetic style when dealing with the simplistic images throughout it. The daily life subjects depicted
The Egyptians had many different ways of doing things. The location of the tombs, the royal kings buried there, the decoration of the tombs, and the design of the building.The location of the tombs is along the Nile River, and is across from the ancient town of Thebes. Ramesses I, and II were buried in the Valley of the Kings. The burial tombs were decorated very nicely with paintings and texts. The design of the building and the inside of the building are very unique. The burial chambers in the Valley of the Kings shows the most beautiful decorated and designed in the whole valley.
Why do sentinels guard the tomb 24/7? Why is the tomb so sacred to America? There is no specific way to answer all these questions that so many American’s ponder, but there are many possibilities to consider. The tomb of the Unknowns has a special place in many American’s hearts. Since the remains in the tomb are unidentified many mothers, fathers, wives, and other family members feel a strong connection with the tomb. The families that lost soldiers that never returned after these wars connected with the tomb because they felt that the tomb may contain their sons, husbands, or brothers. What if you were somehow related to one of the four soldiers in the tomb? John Eisenhower wrote a newspaper article about the significance of the tomb. In his article he states, “Its significance is staggering going to the very core of how democracy defends itself in a perilous world.” This quote reveals that the tomb represents America’s fight for democracy in this dangerous world. After every war America remains a democracy even when the world around may not agree. Eisenhower thought this monument was different from any other because it honors soldiers. Most monuments honor men that are high up in the military, but this one honors those who are simply the soldiers. The soldiers in the tomb signify all the other soldiers that have lost their lives at war. The tomb of the unknown soldier is found in many other countries
One of the most sacred places in America is the Arlington National Cemetery. Each year heroes are laid to rest here. Families from across the nation visit Arlington throughout the year to pay respect to their love ones. Many American hero families who visit the Arlington Cemetery may have been mourning at the wrong grave.
Most tombs contained false entrances or false burial chambers, etc. to confuse robbers and deter them from finding the riches needed in the afterlife.
...e devil” (Jamarat). Following this step is the sacrifice of an animal on Eid al-Adha (“Hajj (pilgrimage)”). This is to remind the pilgrims of Ibrahim’s near sacrifice of Is’mail to Allah, before Allah spared Is’mail and a sheep was sacrificed in his stead. After another Tawaf around the Kaaba, pilgrims are free to leave (“Notes on Different Types of Tawaf”). It is common that pilgrims visit the city of Medina following the completion of the Hajj, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried (Marican).
Pit burials, also known as pit graves, are the earliest form of ancient Egyptian burial practices. All ancient Egyptians, both rich and poor, were buried in shallow pit graves that were situated in the desert. The earliest type of grave housed that corpse and gradually small mementos of the of the deceased were buried with them, such as their weapons or the tools that were used by the deceased. A shallow rectangular grave, usually with rounded corners, was prepared according to the length of the body and was situated on the edge of the desert area. The grave was positioned facing the River Nile, so that the both faced the west. The River Nile in ancient Egypt was believed to be the bridge to the entry to the afterlife. East was the place for beginnings while the west was considered the place of
The Prophet Muhammad died in 632 CE. He was believed to be the Seal of the Prophets, meaning the last prophet; therefore his grave is a very sacred place (A Concise Introduction to World religions, 210-215). Visiting the Prophet’s grave is a controversial issue. Scholars have different perspectives on traveling to his grave, each based on the Islamic Law, shari’ah. Al-Nawawi and Bin Baz each have differing yet similar rulings on the proper way of Pilgrimaging to the Prophets place of burial.
Do you know what catacombs are? Catacombs by definition from Merriam-Webster dictionary are “a subterranean cemetery of galleries with recesses for tombs —usually used in plural” (Catacomb). Frequently, the word catacomb is used in plural because all the catacomb tunnels are connected similar to a maze. Although the definition from Merriam-Webster states catacombs include recesses for tombs, they can also just be a passageway located underground.