The World’s 7 Most Famous Burial Places

Tombs and mausoleums may seem like dark, spooky places for some people, but some of them are amazing pieces of architecture of great historical value. Here are the 7 most important burial places in the world:

7. Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey has often been referred to as the most beautiful cathedral in Britain and one of the most interesting holly places in the world. Throughout history, many English monarchs have been crowned and later buried here, but not many know that aristocrats and priests that served at Westminster also rest in the chapels surrounding it.

A great example of Gothic architecture at its finest, Westminster Abbey serves as eternal resting place for some of England’s greatest poets and writers. Geoffrey Chaucer, John Keats, John Milton, William Blake and many others are buried in an area known as “The Poets’ Corner”.

6. Lenin’s Mausoleum

Inspired by other famous mausoleums like The Tomb of Cyrus the Great and The Step Pyramid, Lenin’s Mausoleum is one of the most popular landmarks in Russia. This is where the embalmed body of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the first real leader of the Soviet Union.

Lenin’s body has been on public display from the year he died, in 1924, until present day and hundreds of thousands Russians come to pay homage to one of the world’s most controversial rulers, every year.

5. The Mausoleum of Hadrian

Known also as Castel Saint Angelo, the Mausoleum of Hadrian was built in Rome between 135 and 139. It was commissioned by Emperor Hadrian himself, as a burial place for him and his family and his ashes were placed here after his death in the year 138. The remains of his wife Sabrina and his adopted son, Lucius Aelius, are also kept in the mausoleum.

After Hadrian’s death Romans started placing the remains of the following emperors in Castel Saint Angelo, until the year 217 when emperor Carcalla died.

4. The Pantheon

The Pantheon is the best preserved building dating from the time of ancient Rome and its name is now applied generally to places where illustrious personalities are buried. It was built in the year 125, under the reign of Emperor Hadrian, but the design has often been credited to one of the most famous architects in history, Appollodorus of Damascus.

The Pantheon was used as a Catholic Church since the seventh century and started acting as a tomb during The Renaissance. Artists like the painter Raphael, the composer Arcangelo Corelli are buried here.

3. St. Peter’s Basilica

“The greatest of all churches of Christendom” is the burial place of Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles and the first Bishop of Rome. Saint Peter is considered the most beautiful building of its age, from an architectural point and one of the holiest places in the world.

Saint Peter is believed to be buried under the altar of the basilica, along with 91 popes, artists and royalty like James Francis Edward Stuart, Roman Emperor Otto II or Queen Christina of Sweden.

2. Great Pyramid of Giza

The only surviving structure of The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, The Great Pyramid of Giza was built in 20 years around the year 2560 BC, as a tomb for Egyptian King Cheops.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the most famous structures in the world and, along with the other pyramids of Egypt, it makes for one of the most beautiful tourist destinations on Earth. It was the tallest building in the world for 3,800 years, an amazing performance considering when it was built.

1. The Taj Mahal 

The finest example of Mughal Architecture, a complex style that combines Persian, Indian, Turkish and Islamic elements, Taj Mahal is “the jewel of Muslim art in India. It was built by Shah Jahan, emperor of the Mughal Empire, as a burial place for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

The white marble dome is the most popular part of the entire Taj Mahal complex and it houses the remains of both Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Maha