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Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world(2023)

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2 years ago

January 4, 2023

In most cultures, providing a place for the dead was originally a family obligation because of the widespread belief that ties of kinship last beyond death.

Having a family mausoleum or graveyard is a custom that has endured in many parts of the world. Their locations have often been selected with great care: in China feng shui (“augury”) experts picked sites calculated to provide “good wind and water”; Koreans traditionally hired geomancers to divine auspicious locations, out of the range of vision of “baleful spirits.” The desire to be united with ancestors has been very strong. Dutiful Asian sons return the bodies of their parents to Japan and China at sometimes enormous cost.

In the Western world, bodies are frequently shipped by air, rail, or boat “back home.” Even when the tribe or the community took over the obligation, burial in the communal graveyard was a jealously guarded privilege. Strangers could dwell in towns and cities but could not be buried in their cemeteries.

In this article, We have compiled a list of the top 10 largest cemeteries in the world, their stories can teach you a lot about why cemeteries have played an important role in human cultural life for millennia. You may even want to visit a few!

10. Crown hill cemetery

Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world – Crown hill cemetery

Crown Hill Cemetery is located in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, US. established in 1863, Crown Hill contains over 200,000 graves and covers 555 acres

It’s home to several species of trees and a sanctuary for wildlife that runs throughout the grounds. Crown Hill is a home for history, a resting place for loved ones, and a cultural landmark. There are many natural and historical treasures to find within these sacred grounds.

9. Zentralfriedhof

Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world – Zentralfriedhof

Zentralfriedhof, also known as Vienna Central Cemetery, was built thanks to a rising population in Vienna due to industrialization. City officials realized the city’s existing cemeteries wouldn’t offer enough space for future burial needs. The cemetery they developed was unique for its time because it was one of the few cemeteries in the region that served multiple denominations. This actually caused some controversy during its early years.

The Central Cemetery, which opened in 1874, is much more than just a last resting place. Around two square kilometers in area, it is the second-largest cemetery in Europe. Accordingly, you can find a parallel world here that could scarcely offer more in the way of variety. The graves – among them many graves of honor of world-famous musicians such as Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as Falco and Udo Jürgens – are not the only impressive features here.

The cemetery church of St. Karl Borromäus is one of the most beautiful Art Nouveau churches in Vienna. Arcade tombs, mausoleums, and bizarre-looking monuments create a unique atmosphere that also ensures a certain amount of creepiness. – Welcome to a very special Viennese place!

8. Arlington National Cemetery

Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world – Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world

Since its founding in 1866, Arlington National Cemetery has provided a solemn place to reflect upon the sacrifices made by the men and women of the United States Armed Forces

On average, 28 burials occur each weekday, for a total of nearly 6,900 each year. Flags at Arlington National Cemetery are flown at half-staff from 30 minutes prior to the first funeral until 30 minutes past the last funeral. Arlington National Cemetery burial eligibility requirements are stricter than all other national cemeteries.

7. Spring Grove Cemetery

Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world – Spring Grove Cemetery

Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum (733 acres (2.97 km²)) is a nonprofit rural cemetery and arboretum located at 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio.

The cemetery dates from 1844 when members of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society formed a cemetery association. They took their inspiration from contemporary rural cemeteries such as Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, and Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The numerous springs and groves suggested the name “Spring Grove”. On December 1, 1844, Salmon P. Chase and others prepared the Articles of Incorporation. The cemetery was designed by Howard Daniels and formally chartered on January 21, 1845. The first burial took place on September 1, 1845.

6. Rookwood Cemetery

Rookwood Cemetery: the last prayer - Adventure in Our Teacups

Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world – Rookwood Cemetery

Rookwood Cemetery was established in 1867 to meet the needs of Australia’s Sydney residents. As the city grew, burial grounds in Sydney were becoming overcrowded to the point that disease was threatening the living.

City authorities decided to purchase 200 acres (80 hectares) of land ten miles outside the city limits at Haslams Creek to establish a cemetery. Since that time, Rookwood has expanded to more than 750 acres (300 hectares).

Rookwood Cemetery has hosted a wide variety of events including historic tours, talks and displays, grave-digging and stone masonry demonstrations, family history research, horse and carriage rides, mausoleum tours, live entertainment, children’s activities, multi-cultural food fairs, parades, and sculpture walks.

5. Karacaahmet Cemetery

Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world – Karacaahmet Cemetery

At 750 acres (300 hectares), Karacaahmet Cemetery is the 5th largest cemetery in the world. It is the oldest in Istanbul, having been established more than 700 years ago.

Karacaahmet Cemetery gets its name from the warrior Karacaahmet, buried here. Visitors often travel to pray at his tomb. Additionally, the carvings on the tombstones tell a story about the way Turkey’s class system evolved over the years. For instance, men’s tombs feature carvings of turbans. The style of the turban indicates the social status of the person buried in that particular spot.

4. Ohlsdorf Cemetery

Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world – Olhsdorf cemetery

Ohlsdorf Cemetery, located in Hamburg, Germany, is the biggest rural cemetery in the world and the fourth-largest cemetery in the world. Most of the people buried at the cemetery are civilians, but there is also a large number of victims of war from various nations. In 1877 the Ohlsdorf Cemetery was established as a non-denominational and multi-regional burial site outside of Hamburg. The cemetery has an area of 966 acres and have 1.5 million interments.

3. Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery

Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world – Abraham Lincoln cemetery

The Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery covers 982 acres (397 ha) in Elwood, Illinois. It is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Chicago, Illinois. When fully completed, it will provide 400,000 burial spaces.

The cemetery was dedicated in 1999 by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration. It was the 117th national cemetery dedicated under the administration. The cemetery is on the grounds of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant site, which was formerly known as the Joliet Arsenal.

The cemetery is named after President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States and founder of the National Cemetery system and who is buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois.

In 2015 the first American federally approved monument honoring LGBT veterans was dedicated at the cemetery

2. Calverton National Cemetery

Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world – Calverton National Cemetery

Calverton is the second-largest cemetery in the world, and one of the most active national cemeteries overseen by the National Cemetery Administration.

This cemetery, which was established in 1978, encompasses 1,045 acres and as of the end of 2008 had 212,000 interments. It has the largest area of any national cemetery in the United States and is the busiest (in terms of daily burials) conducting more than 7,000 burials each year as of 2011.

1. Wadi-us-Salaam

Top 10 largest cemeteries in the world – Wadi-us-Salaam

Topping the list of the top 10 largest cemeteries in the world is Wadi Al-Salaam, also known as Valley of Peace,

Wadi Al-Salaam is an ancient Islamic cemetery, located in the Shia holy city of Najaf, Iraq. Established in 7th century, the cemetery covers 1,485.5 acres(almost 15% of the city). It contains approximately 10 million interments.

Wadi al-Salaam is a very important place for many Shia Muslims. This is because it’s located on a spot that Imam Ali, a major figure in Shia Islam, supposedly declared to be the gateway to Paradise.

Wadi al-Salaam’s exact age is unknown. However, UNESCO estimates burials have been taking place in this cemetery for upwards of 1,400 years.

Summary