The largest cemeteries in the world: list, description, features and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:54

According to the well-known joke, no one will get out alive from the mess called life. That is why most villages, not to mention cities, have their own cemeteries. Among them are real giants, occupying vast areas and having a long history, on which millions of people are buried. At the same time, only a few can answer the question of where the largest cemetery in the world is located, or which graveyard is considered the oldest of the existing ones.

Corraumore (County Sligo)

Before you find out which cemetery is the largest in the world, you should get acquainted with the oldest mass grave of people of the prehistoric period known to mankind. According to scientists, this title rightfully belongs to Corraumor, located on the territory of County Sligo in Northern Ireland. This cemetery is the oldest megalithic complex and covers an area of 4 km. 60 ancient burials were found on it, the oldest of which dates back to the Neolithic era. In other words, people began to be buried at the Corraumore cemetery before Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids appeared. MajorityThe tombs are dolmens made of stones of a certain shape, and the largest is a stone pyramid with a base diameter of 34 meters, called Listogil.

Kedron Valley (Jerusalem)

Before the birth of Christ, for many centuries, one of the oldest graveyards in Judea, which is more than 3 thousand years old, was included in the category "The largest cemeteries in the world". It is located in Jerusalem and is known as the Kidron Valley. Scientists estimate that at the moment there are buried at least a million people. It is interesting that this cemetery is active, and to this day burial ceremonies of the dead are performed on it. At the same time, burial places are very, very expensive, moreover, they are sold out for many years to come, since, according to the beliefs of Jews, Christians and Muslims, God's judgment on the children of Adam will take place in the Kidron Valley. To this end, the Lord will descend there from the top of the Mount of Shrovetide and begin to send sinners to hell, and the righteous to heaven.

Kedron Valley is often mentioned when talking about the most amazing and beautiful cemeteries in the world, as there are several ancient churches and luxurious tombstones that are hundreds of years old.

Wadi as-Salam (An-Najaf)

This is the city that should go to those who are looking for an answer to the question of what is the largest cemetery in the world. It is located in the south of Iraq, on the right bank of the Euphrates, and its populationis about 900 thousand people. The city is considered sacred to Shiite Muslims and is visited by millions of pilgrims every year. The main attraction of An-Najaf is the cemetery of Wadi as-Salam, whose name in translation into Russian sounds like "Valley of Death". About 6 million people found shelter on its territory of 6 square kilometers, including many Islamic saints and imams of Iraq. The burial density is 1 sq. m, which is contrary to generally accepted sanitary standards. At one time, UNESCO was going to include the Annajaf cemetery in the list of world heritage sites, but the US military command, which controlled the city, demanded that the discussion of this issue be postponed.

Calvary (New York)

Of the graveyards of the Western Hemisphere in the list of "The largest cemeteries in the world" leadership belongs to the cemetery of Golgotha. It is located in New York, and more than three million people are buried on it. Consists of 4 sectors located at a distance from each other, was founded in 1848 by the Roman Catholic Church. By the way, in the first half of the 20th century, prominent representatives of the mafia were buried on Calvary, and some episodes of the famous film by Francis Ford Coppola "The Godfather" were filmed there.

Northern (Rostov-on-Don)

The list of "The largest cemeteries in the world" also includes burial places located on the territory of our country. Moreover, the Northern Cemetery of Rostov-on-Don is even listed in the famous BookGuinness World Records as the largest on the European continent. It occupies 350 hectares, and more than 355,000 people are buried there. The northern cemetery is relatively young: it will soon be 45 years old. On the territory of the churchyard there is the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and a columbarium, and at the main entrance there is a Poklonny stone crowned with an Orthodox cross.

La Ricoleta (Buenos Aires)

Now that you know which places of eternal rest are classified as "The largest cemeteries in the world", it is worth saying a few words about the most beautiful of them. Among them, of course, is La Ricoleta. It is located on the South American continent, in the capital of Argentina. On its territory there are luxurious marble crypts resembling mini-palaces. Many of them are decorated with statues sculpted by famous sculptors, others are excellent copies of masterpieces of world art.

Père Lachaise (Paris)

This cemetery is one of the most famous and visited on the planet. Suffice it to say that Napoleon Bonaparte himself is considered its founder, who signed the corresponding order in 1804. In total, 30,000 people are buried at Pere Lachaise, including Oscar Wilde, Isidora Duncan, Balzac, Edith Piaf, Sarah Bernhardt and others. Famous representatives of the Russian emigration and some Decembrists found their last refuge there.

Maramures (Sepintsa)

Many will probably be surprised to hear the epithet "fun" in relation to the cemetery. However, this still exists and isthe main attraction of the village of Sapinta in the Romanian county of Maramures. Most of the wooden crosses in this rural churchyard were carved by local craftsman Stan Petrash, who decorated them with naïve art and humorous epitaphs.

Now you know the largest cemeteries in the world and churchyards that claim to be the most luxurious, famous and even fun.

Death is the end of every person's life, so cemeteries should be considered as memorials dedicated to people who left one or another mark in the life of their families or even entire states.