Magnificent Mausoleums From Around the World

One of the most famous tombs in the world is the Pyramid of Giza otherwise known as Great Pyramid of Egypt which

was built as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu. Here are some of the most notable burial places from around the world.

1. Tomb of Jahangir: Pakistan

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This tomb of splendid beauty is called the Tomb of Jahangir. It is the mausoleum built for the Mughal Emperor Jahangir

who ruled from 1605 to 1627. The mausoleum is located in Lahore, Pakistan. His son Shah Jahan built the mausoleum

10 years after his father's death. It is sited in an attractive walled garden. It has four 30 meter high minarets. The interior

is embellished with frescoes and pietra dura inlay and colored marble. The mausoleum features prominently on the

Pakistan Rupees 1,000 denomination bank note. The corridor around the mausoleum is adorned with a most elegant

mosaic, representing flowers and Quranic verses.

2. Napoleon's Tomb: France

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St. Jerome's Chapel

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The sarcophagus of Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the greatest conqueror in history and undoubtedly one of the most popular men in the

history of mankind. This man definitely deserves a magnificent resting place. The Tomb of Napoleon is located in

Les Invalides, Paris, France. It is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments. The most notable

tomb at Les Invalides is that of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821). Napoleon was initially interred on Saint Helena,

but King Louis-Philipe arranged for his remains to be brought to St Jerome's Chapel in Paris in 1840. A renovation

of Les Invalides took many years, but in 1861 Napoleon was moved to the most prominent location under the dome

at Les Invalides. A popular tourist site today, Les Invalides is also the burial site for some of Napoleon's family, for

several military officers who served under him, and other French military heroes

3. Emperor Nintoku Tomb: Japan

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This splendid tomb is the largest in the world by area. The Great Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt is the largest by volume.

This tomb is the burial site of Emperor Nintoku, the 16th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of

succession. Daisen-Kofun (the biggest tomb in Japan) in Sakai, Osaka is considered to be his tomb. The Imperial

tomb of Nintoku's consort, Iwa-no hime no Mikoto, is said to be located in Saki-cho, Nara City. Both kofun-type Imperial

tombs are characterized by a keyhole-shaped island located within a wide, water-filled moat

4. Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang: China

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This amazing tomb is the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor which is the biggest underground mausoleum in the

world. This mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Terracotta Army "soldier and horse funerary statues"

are the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China. Qin Shi Huang was buried in his

mausoleum, with the Terracotta Army. The terracotta figures, dating from 210 BCE, were discovered in 1974 by several

local farmers. The figures vary in height (183-195cm - 6ft-6ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the Generals.

The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that

in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150

cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.

5. Lincoln's Tomb: USA

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Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the US is one of the most popular US presidents. His final resting place together

with his wife Mary Todd Lincoln and three of their four sons is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois. It is

called the Lincoln's Tomb.

6. Mazar-e-Quaid: Pakistan

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This is certainly a beautiful resting place, Mazar-e-Quaid or the National Mausoleum refers to the tomb of the founder

of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It is an iconic symbol of Karachi throughout the world. The mausoleum was

completed in the 1960s. It is situated at the heart of the city. The mausoleum is made of white marble with curved

Moorish arches and copper grills rest on an elevated 54 meter sq platform. The cool inner sanctum reflects the

green of a four-tiered crystal chandelier gifted by the people of China. Around the mausoleum there is a park fitted

with strong beamed spot-lights which at night project light on the white mausoleum. The location is usually calm

and tranquil which is significant considering that it is in the heart of one of the largest global megalopolises. The

glowing tomb can be seen for miles at night. Liaqat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Jinnah's sister,

are also buried besides Jinnah.

7. An?tkabir: Turkey

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When you visit Turkey, include in your itinerary this grandiose tomb, the Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Mausoleum. An?tkabir

which literally, "memorial tomb" is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the leader of Turkish War of Independence

and the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey. It is located in Ankara. The site is also the final resting

place of Ismet Inonu, the second President of Turkey, who was interred there after he died in 1973. His tomb faces the

Ataturk Mausoleum, on the opposite side of the Ceremonial Ground.

8. Shrine of the Bab: Israel

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You will surely enjoy your visit on this beautiful burial place. This magnificent burial site is the Shrine of the Bab. It is a

structure in Haifa, Israel where the remains of the Bab, founder of Babism and forerunner of Bahaullah in the Bahai

Faith, have been laid to rest; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahai's, after the Shrine of

Bahaullah in Acre. Its precise location on Mount Carmel was designated by Bahaullah himself to his eldest son,

Abdul-Baha, in 1891. Abdul-Baha planned the structure, which was designed and completed several years later by

his grandson.

9. Newgrange: Ireland

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Another distinct tomb is the Newgrange located in Ireland. It is one of the passage tombs of the Bru na Boinne

complex in Country Meath, one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world and the most famous of all Irish

prehistoric sites. Newgrange was built in such a way that at dawn on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice,

a narrow beam of sunlight for a very short time illuminates the floor of the chamber at the end of the long passageway.

10. Tomb for the Unknown: Worldwide

Almost every country in the world has their own tombs for "unknown soldiers" to honor unidentified dead soldiers

who fought for freedom for their country and for the world as a whole mostly during the first and second world wars.

Here are some of the most notable tombs built for them. Tombs built for the unknown heroes are what I considered

the most magnificent and grandiose in the whole wide world.

• Tomb of the Unknowns: USA

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As one of my friends said, paying a visit to a place like this will leave a mark on your heart. The Tomb of the Unknowns

(also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, although it has never been officially named) is a monument dedicated

to American servicemen who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery

in the United States.

• Monument to the Unknown Soldier: Iraq

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The Monument to the Unknown is said to be inspired by the glorification of a martyr from the Iran-Iraq War. The Monument

represents a traditional shield (dira'a) dropping from the dying grasp of an Iraqi warrior. The monument also houses an

underground museum.

• Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Canada

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The Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located at the National War Memorial in Confederation Square, Ottawa.

The tomb was added to the war memorial in 2000, and holds the remains of an unidentified Canadian soldier who

died in France during World War I.

• *Bonus*Catacomb of Paris: France

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This burial site is a bit creepy. I haven't seen myself personally such thing. These burial sites are known as the

Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris. They are a famous underground ossuary in Paris. Organized in a

renovated section of the city's vast network of subterranean tunnels and caverns towards the end of the 18th century,

it became a tourist attraction on a small scale from the early 19th century and has been open to the public on a

regular basis from 1867.

Magnificent tombs were built to honor, glorify or commemorate great men in history. In the Philippines, great Filipinos

and unknown soldiers are buried in a place called "Libingan ng mga Bayani" (Cemetery of the Heroes).

For a related article see

Top 10 Most Famous and Historically Significant Tombs in the World

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20 World's Most Notable Bridges: Architectural and Engineering Feats

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