7 World Famous Graves and Tombs
Below is a list of some world famous graves and tombs worth visiting.
1. Westminster Abbey, London
3. Valley of the Kings, Egypt
5. Daisenryo Ancient Tomb, Japan
6. USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
1. Westminster Abbey, London
Once, only kings and queens of England were buried in a church known as Westminster Abbey in London. But if you visit the Abbey today, you will see not only the graves of kings and queens, but also of statesmen like Oliver Cromwell, of scientists like Isaac Newton, of poets like Geoffrey Chaucer, and of composers like George Frideric Handel. Some of the graves are so simply marked that you can walk right over them, and not even know it. You might be standing on the grave of Lord Tennyson in the floor, while you are looking at the grave of Chaucer ion the wall.
2. Catacombs in Rome, Italy
Long ago, many people who lived around the Mediterranean Sea buried their dead in places called catacombs. The best known catacombs are the ones the early Christians dug on the outskirts of Rome, Italy. Catacombs are made up of tunnels and rooms dug deep in the earth. The dead were placed in openings in the walls. The graves were then sealed with bricks or marble slabs. Paintings decorate many of the walls. Christian catacombs have paintings of olive branches, doves, fish and other symbols of Christianity. Jewish catacombs also have paintings of olive branches and doves, as well as the seven-branched candlestick, or Menorah, a religious symbol of Jewish faith.
3. Valley of the Kings, Egypt
Kings of Egypt used to be buried in great tombs with jewels and golden vases - and even thrones and chariots. The tombs had so many valuable things in them that thieves used to break into the tombs and steal the treasures. So, later kings decided to hide their tombs. They left orders for their burials to be in a secret place called the Valley of the Kings. The graves were not to be marked. But, still, the jewels and golden vases and the thrones and chariots disappeared. When historians checked into it, they found out who stole the treasures - that's right, the men who were supposed to guard the tombs.
4. Taj Mahal, India
Tagged as the world's most expensive gift and probably the most romantic structure in the world, the Taj Mahal in India was built in memory of emperor Shah Jahan's beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
5. Daisenryo Ancient Tomb, Japan
The biggest Japanese keyhole-shaped tomb in Japan is over 1500 years old.
A grave in the city of Sakai, Japan, is so long and so high it looks like a giant's grave. It's the final resting place of Emperor Nintoku, who ruled Japan more than a thousand years ago. Three moats, or water-filled ditches, surround the giant mound. It's the largest royal tomb in Japan.
6. USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Early on December 7th, in 1941, hundreds of planes flew over Hawaii and bombed United States warships in Pearl Harbor. It was a surprise attack, and many ships were sunk. The biggest loss was four battleships - the Arizona, the California, the Oklahoma and the West Virginia.
When the Arizona went down, more than a thousand men were trapped inside, left to the bottom, as a grave for its crew. Today, a monument spans the water over the Arizona, in memory of all the men who died at Pearl Harbor.
7. Church of the Holy Sepulchre
In this large church, a carved marble entrance leads to the sepulcher. Made of rock, the floor, ceiling and the walls of the small chamber have been decorated with marble. A marble slab cover the place where the Body of Christ was placed. Gold and silver lamps burn continuously in the sepulcher. They are kept lighted by members of different Christian faiths who share the church.