For many millennia, mankind has come up with a huge number of ways to honor their dead. From northern burial boats and Hindu burning at the stake, to Egyptian mummification and Chinese hanging coffins, the choice was vast. The advent of Judaism, Christianity and Islam also changed funeral traditions, bringing the most common type of burial. Today, the burial of the dead has become a profitable business. Many people think about a place for themselves and their families many years before a sad event. Everything is thought out: a coffin, clothes, a cemetery, a monument. The cost in some cases can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even millions. We offer an overview of the most expensive places in the world for those who have departed to another world.
10 Graceland Cemetery, Chicago: Up to $120,000
Opened in 1860, the cemetery now occupies an area of 48 hectares. It is known for its amazing Victorian design and nature. In addition, many of the founding fathers of the city are buried here. The cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers walking tours. The cost of an ordinary plot varies from two to four thousand dollars, but a premium class or family plot will cost 120 thousand.
9. Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn: Up to $320,000
Established in 1838, Green Wood Cemetery offers a stunning combination of nature, architecture and serenity on 193 hectares. It is more like a park with wonderful lakes, buildings and sculptures. In good weather, people come here not only to visit friends and relatives who have gone to another world, but also for a picnic. There are also many artists and photographers here. The price for a standard plot starts at $1,772, for a burial in a common tomb they will ask for $19,500, and for a private crypt with an area of 70 square meters - $320,000.
8. Cryonics, Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Arizona: up to $338,000
Cryonics is the process of freezing a body in liquid nitrogen, which can now be stored almost forever. There is a theory that in the future, thanks to the development of medical technology, it will be possible to revive people. It is believed that memory, individuality and the neurostructure of the brain are preserved for some time after clinical death has been ascertained. The procedure consists in dehydration of the body with the help of a special chemical cocktail - a cryoprotectant. After that, the body is slowly frozen until its temperature reaches -93°, placed in a container with liquid nitrogen and cooled to -160°. The cost of whole body cryopreservation for a period of 100 years will cost about $338,000.
7 Auburn Cemetery, Massachusetts: Up to $500,000
Sometimes it is also called the first American cemetery-garden for its stunning nature and amazing landscapes. It was founded in 1831 by the famous botanist Jacob Bigelow. More than 100 thousand people are buried here, including many world-famous celebrities. The price of a simple plot in the "Garden of Hope" is $ 1,500, and for a premium one you will have to pay up to 500 thousand.
6 Kensico Cemetery, New York: Up To $500,000
Kensico Cemetery, which opened in 1889, offers an amazingly beautiful last resort for its "residents". Its territory occupies 186 hectares. There are regular tours here. The cost of a simple plot is $1,800, and a personal crypt will cost $500,000.
5. Nirvana Memorial Garden, Singapore: up to $517,800
Built in 2001, the "Garden of Memory" is a luxurious columbarium that serves the Buddhist part of the population of the city-state. It is a combination of tranquility, modern architecture and infrastructure with stunning scenery. It captivates with majestic prayer halls, individual rooms, shining golden statues, laser lighting and a high-quality sound system. The niche price ranges from $6,994 to $517,800.
4. Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale: Up to $825,000
Opened in 1906, the memorial park has since grown six times, but the original cemetery was in Glendale. At the moment, more than 250 thousand people are buried here. There are three chapels on the territory, in which not only the dead are commemorated, but also married, for example, former US President Ronald Reagan and actress Jane Wyman. The art museum regularly hosts exhibitions of famous artists. Many celebrities are buried here, including Michael Jackson. The price for a simple plot is $2820, for a premium one - up to $825,000.
3 Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx: Up To $1.5 Million
Woodlawn Cemetery attracts millions of tourists every year, not only because of the celebrities buried here, but also because of the amazing scenery. Possibly the most beautiful cemetery in the world, striking bronze, steel and stone masterpieces. It was opened in 1863 on an area of 160 hectares. Here is a memorial dedicated to the tragic death of 192 passengers of the Titanic. The price of a simple plot starts at $4,800, but for a separate crypt you will have to pay up to 1.5 million.
2. Westwood Cemetery, Los Angeles: up to $4.6 million
Westwood Cemetery is known all over the world thanks to the celebrities who have found their last refuge here. Plots here are sold at open auction. In 2009, a wall-mounted vault next to Marilyn Monroe's cell sold for a whopping $4.6 million.
1. Space, up to $34 million
For the wealthiest people, there is another way of burial - space expanses. Eugene Roddenberry (American screenwriter and producer, author of the science fiction television series Star Trek), Leroy Gordon Cooper (American astronaut), Timothy Francis Leary (American writer, psychologist) have already gone on a posthumous journey. The body is pre-cremated, and the cost of the service is calculated - $12,500 per gram. Since on average the ashes of one person weigh 2-3.5 kg, you will have to pay a round sum for the opportunity to travel around the solar system.
Not only the places of burial of people can be unusual, they can turn out to be no less original.
Expensive things in life, wealth, success, fame ... And what's next? Unfortunately, we are all mortal. Not by the moral deeds of a person during his lifetime, but by the presence of a lot of money, as many believe, can be ensured the road to heaven. The last thing a person who has a lot of money can afford is the most expensive cemetery ...
The cemetery of Jerusalem is the most expensive road to heaven.
This cemetery is located in Jerusalem. The cost of a place in this cemetery is worth at least $100,000. However, you can't just buy this place. It is necessary to confirm that the deceased is a Jew by nationality, and not just a Jew, but a true believing Jew.
This cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in the world. It is located on the western and southern slopes of the Olivet (Olive) Mount. Its dimensions are simply huge, and seem endless. And this is not surprising, there are at least 150,000 graves here, and the first burials in this cemetery date back to the 1st century BC. This cemetery is active, and many rich people wish to rest on it. And this is explained by the fact that, according to predictions, this cemetery has “preferential” advantages - it is from this place that the resurrection of a person from the dead begins, and the road to paradise is provided to those who are buried in it.
The Mount of Olives is mentioned many times in the Gospel, this place is associated with Jesus. Traditions say that it was here that Jesus taught his apostles, here he came on the way to Jerusalem from Jericho, when he lived in the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, it was here that he resurrected Lazarus. From this mountain, Jesus descended to the inhabitants of Jerusalem as a Mission, and the people greeted him with cries of "Assana!" And most importantly, this mountain is associated with the ascension of Jesus, and therefore, all the churches that are located here are called Ascension.
Many prominent personalities, spiritual leaders and teachers rest in this cemetery. It is believed that the prophets Zahiriya, Agei and Malachi are buried in this cemetery. Here are the graves of soldiers who fell in the War of Independence of 1947-1948, the graves of Jews who died during the Great Arab Revolt of the 1940s, and the victims of the 1929 pogroms are buried here.
The road to heaven for our stars.
Information was published in the foreign and Russian media that at the most expensive cemetery in the world, places were bought by our compatriots “the closest to paradise” - Alla Pugacheva and Iosif Kobzon. However, neither confirmation nor refutation of this information from the press service of the artists followed.
And what? What actually distinguishes a quiet, well-groomed rural cemetery from the most expensive Jerusalem one. Really the road to heaven depends on the place of burial, or is it that the opportunity to go to heaven depends on the worldly actions of a person?
Cemeteries are an integral part of the world of the living. Creepy corners, associated with decay and the fragility of human life, do not cause many people to want to walk through them once again. The havens of the dead are always shrouded in mystical stories, and some graves even have chilling legends.
However, there are unique cemeteries that are more reminiscent of monuments of art. Included in the tourist routes, they do not look like places of mourning, but resemble real open-air museums with their architecture and special majesty.
Today's story will be about one of these corners of silence, similar to a small city with narrow streets, flower beds, unusual sculptures, incredibly beautiful crypts and small chapels.
The most expensive cemetery in the world
Argentina is a country that has made a national memorial out of a cemetery, which has been recognized as one of its main attractions. The Recoleta necropolis is the most aristocratic and famous on the whole globe. Located in a prestigious area where the very rich people of Buenos Aires live, it occupies a huge area of six hectares.
Surprisingly, it is cheaper for wealthy citizens of the country to buy a luxurious cottage near the cemetery, but not a place on it. Therefore, burials in the necropolis in recent years have been extremely rare.
The history of the necropolis
The history of this ancient place goes back to the beginning of the 18th century, when the Franciscans came to the city of Buenos Aires and founded their monastery on the outskirts - a wasteland called Recoleta ("Ascetic"). Having built a small temple of El Pilar, they also took care of a place for the burial of the servants of the Lord. A hundred years later, the governor considered it necessary to turn the place for the burial of monks into the first public cemetery.
When the city began to be shaken by outbreaks of a terrible disease that claimed thousands of lives, most wealthy citizens hid from the epidemic, moving to the very outskirts of Buenos Aires.
From public to elite
Gradually, the provincial corner grew, turning into the most prestigious area in which all the rich lived. Accordingly, the local Recoleta cemetery changed its social status to an elite one, and now all respected citizens of high society were buried there. And no one will ever call him "ascetic". And the poor from different parts of the city found their last refuge in the west of Buenos Aires.
The rich, who wanted to rest in the most beautiful and expensive crypts, were dissatisfied with the rather modest necropolis and advocated its reconstruction, which took place in 1881, turning the local cemetery into a real work of art.
The most unusual city of the dead
The cemetery of Argentina, recognized in 2003 as an architectural monument, is visited by a huge number of tourists who marvel at the grandeur of such a place and note its unusualness compared to other resting places.
At the entrance, everyone is greeted by a gate made in the neoclassical style with four Greek columns. On the stone slabs, the dates of the year of the foundation of the necropolis (1822), its first reconstruction (1881) and the third (2003) are engraved, while for some reason they kept silent about the second one.
Symbols of the frailty of life
On the outer side of the facade, facing the views of visitors, the inscription in Latin "Rest in peace" is engraved, and on the inside of the cemetery the phrase "We hope in God" seems to convey the appeal of the dead to the living.
On the columns, curious visitors will find pagan symbols that speak of a person’s short stay in the world: scissors that will cut the life thread at any moment, a cross and an urn as signs of death, upside down burning torches and tell about the transience of time.
For many, such symbols on the former monastery will not cause surprise, because Argentina is a country in which Christian traditions are closely intertwined with pagan ones.
Crypt rental
The crypts located inside have long become family graves, in which more than one generation rests. Since this cemetery is considered one of the most expensive in the world, many families only rent for several years the tomb where the body of the deceased is located. Three years later, the crypt is vacated, and the remains are reburied in a special wall on the territory of a luxurious necropolis.
tomb palaces
The Recoleta cemetery, located inside the richest city, has become a symbol of its "golden age". All the nobility and the elite of Buenos Aires, taking care of their future shelter, hired the best architects from other countries of the world to build unusual crypts-mausoleums, reminiscent of luxury palaces in which wealthy citizens lived.
An amazing city within a city is famous for its unusual monumental crypts, reminiscent of Greek temples, which is very symbolic. The oldest burials reflected the spirit of the freedom-loving Argentines, who thus expressed their desire to free themselves from the religious background associated with the yoke of the country's colonization.
The quiet cemetery of Recoleta (Argentina) is an amazing place that combines quaint buildings in the Gothic style with majestic palaces and austere mausoleums. Almost five thousand crypts and about 350 thousand more modest graves are comfortably located in the quarters of a gigantic city that cannot be bypassed in one day.
Manicured and abandoned resting places
Inside many tombs, relatives hang curtains, place fresh flowers in vases and light lamps, thus creating a homely atmosphere for their departed loved ones. Mini-chapels are also equipped there, in which the living pray, remembering the dead. Some tombs go several levels underground.
Next to the well-groomed crypts, lavishly decorated with bas-reliefs and stained-glass windows, there are abandoned ones, with traces of long desolation, but closed with all bolts. It can be seen that no one cares for them, and the buildings are gradually being destroyed. Most likely, the last of the noble Argentine family rested many years ago and lies inside.
But, according to the rules, it is no longer possible to rebury anyone: once a place is bought, it forever belongs to the owner.
First Lady's grave
The burial place of the famous inhabitants of Argentina is a monumental architectural monument, in front of which tourists who have come to the cemetery for the first time feel a little lost. You can wander through the streets of the silent city for a very long time, touching the history of life and death.
For most visitors to the cemetery, Eva Perón's name will be the most famous. Local guides will tell about the difficult fate of the people's favorite. The woman who found peace only 24 years after her death lived a very short life. The death of the first lady was a real tragedy for Argentina, which plunged into mourning for four weeks. So that everyone could say goodbye to Eva, her body was embalmed and put on public display.
But the Argentine "Princess Diana" had not only fans. Her opponents, who believed that a woman could not be among the nobility, stole the body, hiding it outside the country. Buried under a false name, Peron was dug up and buried next to her husband-president, but after a military coup, the remains were again disturbed.
romantic legend
Many legends are associated with the young daughter of the famous writer Velloso, who died at the age of 15. Above her grave is a marble niche, on which lies a snow-white sculpture depicting a sleeping beauty. The inconsolable mother spent a lot of time in the cemetery, mourning her child.
There is a romantic legend about how a young man fell in love with a pretty girl whom he had recently met. Late in the evening, walking her home, he threw his coat over the chilled shoulders of the lady in a white dress. The next day, when the guy, burned with passions, came to his mother, he was seized with real horror: he learned that his beloved had recently died. And when the girl's mother brought him to the famous cemetery, the first thing they saw was the clothes lying in the crypt. It is said that the young man went mad and committed suicide, and the dead girl is called "the lady in white."
Light sadness
Not only tourists roam the silent world of the dead: the cemetery caretakers breed cats that bask on sun-drenched graves. Well-fed and imposing residents of the dead city, according to ancient legends, see what is not given to people to observe.
Death is a natural process that ends a person's life. Beauty that cannot be described in words arouses the burning interest of everyone who has arrived in Buenos Aires. The Recoleta Solemn Cemetery does not evoke feelings of hopeless grief in visitors. A place where you can philosophize and think about the frailty and transience of being, sets you on a certain wave, the main emotion of which will be light sadness.
There are few places in the world that, having arisen in ancient times, would have retained their original purpose to the present day. Israel can be proud that at least one of these structures is located on its territory. True, by and large, this is a whole complex, which over many centuries has grown to an impressive size. And now a real pilgrimage of tourists is taking place here, who want to join the history and, along the way, look at the magnificent panorama of Jerusalem that opens from there. We are talking about a sacred place for the Jews (and not only for them), called the Mount of Olives. There is a lot of interesting information about him. Here are just some of the facts.
1. Jerusalem is located on small mountains. One of the mountain ranges, consisting of an elongated 3-peak hill, stretching along a north-south line opposite the eastern wall of Old Jerusalem along the eastern edge of the Kidron Valley, is known to people as the Mount of Olives. This name was given due to the fact that since ancient times olive trees have grown in huge numbers on it.
2. For the first time, this mountain is mentioned in the Old Testament in the story of the flight of King David from the rebellious son of Absalom.
3. The highest point of the Mount of Olives, and at the same time of all of Israel, is its northern peak, which is called Scopus. Its height is 826 m. The southern peak (816 m) is inferior to it by 10 meters, and by 12 - the middle, lowest (814 m).
4. In addition to the already mentioned name, the mountain has another one - Olivet. Second This name was fixed already in Christian times thanks to the famous Olivet sermon delivered by Christ on its slope. Each of the peaks also acquired an additional name. South - Mount Temptation (on it King Solomon built temples for numerous wives). The middle one is Mount Ascension, and the northern one is Little Galilee (it once housed inns where wanderers from Galilee often stayed).
5. Since ancient times, Jews have built a cemetery on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. Gradually, it grew and by now began to occupy the southern and western slopes. Considering that burials on it, although rare, are still being made now, we can say that this churchyard is the oldest on our planet.
6. For about 2,500 years of the existence of the cemetery, at least 150,000 burials have been made on it. Numerous underground passages and catacombs that go under the Arab quarter of Silwan serve as confirmation of its antiquity.
7. The shortest road to the Mount of Olives lies through the gates of St. Stephen, located in the Old City.
8. It is symbolic that the road from the city to the Mount of Olives is about 1000 steps - exactly as much as a true Jew is allowed to walk on Shabbat. This road is often referred to as the "Sabbath Way."
9. It is believed that the cemetery on the Mount of Olives has a very symbolic meaning. It is assumed that at some time the Messiah will ascend to its top, the sound of the trumpet of Ezekiel will be carried, and at the same moment the dead will begin to rise from the graves.
10. Interestingly, this cemetery is also sacred to Muslims. They also believe that after the end of days, it is from the Mount of Olives to the Temple that an extremely narrow bridge will stretch. The righteous people will pass through it calmly, but those who have not passed the test will fall into Gehenna.
11. The plots of the New Testament are also largely connected with the Mount of Olives, in particular, the period of the earthly life of Christ. The Holy Book says that it was from here that Jesus descended to the people as the Messiah. The Gospel tells that on this mountain the Son of God taught with the apostles, read sermons (in particular, the famous Olivet). In this place, Christ resurrected Lazarus, taught the people and prayed for Jerusalem. Judas betrayed him on the Mount of Olives. But the most important thing is that the miracle of his ascension took place here, and since then all Christian churches built near the sacred mountain are called Ascension Churches.
12. During the existence of the Second Temple, the Mount of Olives and the Temple Mount were connected not by a mythical, but by a real bridge, perhaps even two. 8 varieties of olives were grown in the Garden of Gethsemane, and since then they continue to grow on the mountain slopes.
13. After the death of Judea as a state, starting from the end of the 7th century, the Mount of Olives began to have a special meaning for the Jews. During this period, the Arabs allowed the Jews to visit Jerusalem, but they were denied access to the Temple Mount. For this reason, all national holidays and social gatherings were held by Jews on the nearby Mount of Olives. Here the “Announcements of the Mount of Olives” were read, in which the calendar dates for the new moons, the dates of the holidays, and the members of the Sanhedrin were appointed. According to Midrashic tradition, this mountain is considered "the place of the throne of the Lord."
14. In addition to ordinary Jews, many famous prophets rested in the cemetery of the Mount of Olives, who rest in an adapted deep cave, where 36 burial niches were carved in stone. True, a number of modern researchers cast doubt on the fact that the burial place of the prophets was in the cave complex, stating that there are ordinary Jewish citizens, whose names miraculously coincide with the names of the prophets. However, this does not reduce the interest in the cave.
15. The cemetery on the Mount of Olives was seriously desecrated and destroyed at the time of the formation of modern Israel. The Mount of Olives fell into the zone of control of Jordanian military units. The Muslim military did not care at all about the preservation of the ancient burial complex. On the contrary, many of the ancient graves were destroyed by them, and the slabs installed on them were used as road building materials.
16. During the fighting, Israel regained control of the Shrovetide Mountain. Large-scale restoration work began here, in particular, the restoration of buildings, historical monuments, and, if possible, tombstones. During the same period, the Hebrew University on Scopus resumed its work, whose campus stood at the top and was regularly shelled. In addition, Jews again got the opportunity to carry out burials at the cemetery.
17. The significance of the place, the length of history and the announcement of the cemetery as the most important shrine gave rise to the idea in the Jewish community that people buried on the Mount of Olives after their death automatically go to heaven. For this reason, many wished to find the last shelter in this place. To reduce the number of requests for funerals, the Israeli authorities took an unprecedented step - the cost of burial here began to cost from 100,000 US dollars. In addition, either very famous people in Israel or deeply religious Jews can use this opportunity.
18. Over the past 100 years, victims of the brutal Jewish pogroms that took place in Palestine in the late 1920s, soldiers who died in the battles of the War of Independence, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who revived Hebrew, and a number of famous Jewish writers and politicians were buried here. Menachem Begin, the former prime minister of Israel, was among the last prominent people to be buried.
19. On the Mount of Olives is the most extensive panoramic platform, which offers wonderful views of Jerusalem. This attracts a huge number of tourists here.
20. Every year in the pre-Easter period, many Christians come to Israel to stand by the road along which, according to legend, Christ ascended the Mount of Olives. They, like the ancient Jews, gather with palm branches in their hands at the foot of the mountain, after which they follow the path of Christ to Jerusalem, visiting each of the churches standing near the road along the way.
Wealthy people are surrounded by wealth and expensive things all their lives. At the same time, many of them hope to "book" themselves a ticket to heaven not with good, altruistic deeds, but with a place in the most expensive cemetery in the world. Where is it located? And why do so many want to be buried on it?
Each nation has its own holy places, which are revered with special trepidation in the soul. For Jews, one of these objects is the Mount of Olives (or the Olivet) located in the city of Jerusalem.
This natural highland stretches from south to north, separating the old city from the Kidron Valley. Olive groves have been planted here since ancient times. Hence the name of the mountain.
Why is the Mount of Olives famous?
The Mount of Olives is mentioned in the Bible. It was on it that David prayed to the Lord, and Solomon built a temple here for his foreign wives. The elevation is also associated with biblical predictions regarding the End of the World. So, according to the statements of the prophet Zechariah, the Lord on this great day will descend from heaven precisely to the Mount of Olives, splitting it into two parts. This event will mark the beginning of the End. Also in the book of the prophet it is indicated that the resurrection of all the dead will begin on this mountain.
The Mount of Olives is also closely associated with the life of Jesus Christ. It was on this hill that he resurrected Lazarus, here he taught his disciples, from here he descended to the inhabitants of Jerusalem as a Mission. According to tradition, Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives. Therefore, all the churches located in this area are called Ascension, in honor of this event.
The relative height of this mountain is 800 meters. From its top, the entire “eternal city” is as if in the palm of your hand. Standing on the Mount of Olives, it is very difficult to believe that now is the twenty-first century, and not the first.
History of the Cemetery on the Mount of Olives
The Cemetery on the Mount of Olives is one of the oldest burial places on the planet. It is located on the southern and western slope of the hill, and seems to be endless. Graves in dense rows stretch to the horizon. In total there are about 150 thousand of them!
Jews have been buried here for several thousand years. The very first burials are dated by historians to the first century BC. Although most of the graves belong to the 19th-20th century.
Difficult times for the shrine began in the late 40s of the last century, when the mountain came under the control of Jordan. The depth of the conflict between the Jewish and Arab worlds in this part of the planet is known to all. The cemetery was desecrated several times: grave monuments were broken and pulled out of the ground. Some of them were even used for laying floors in new hotels. Moreover, the Jordanian authorities laid a new route to Jericho, which "passed" directly through the burial sites.
In 1967, the territory again returned to Israel. Immediately began large-scale work on the reconstruction and restoration of the ancient cemetery. Soon it again became active, however, during the period of occupation, the inhabitants of the city had already managed to establish several new cemeteries.
And what is happening on the Mount of Olives today?
Today, the cemetery on the Mount of Olives is considered the most expensive in the world. The cost of one place here exceeds 100 thousand US dollars. Moreover, money here, oddly enough, is not everything. To get the right to be buried in this cemetery, relatives must be able to prove that the deceased was not only a Jew (by nationality), but also a true believing Jew.
What explains such a high popularity of this cemetery. The thing is that legends say that it is from this place that the process of resurrection of the dead will begin during the End of the World. In addition, everyone who is buried in this holy land is provided with a direct path to paradise. Of course, all the rich, famous and respected people want to rest here.
Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi and other prophets rest in the cemetery in Jerusalem. In total, there are 36 so-called "tombs of the prophets" here. In addition to them, many prominent personalities of the Jewish people are buried in the cemetery: teachers, spiritual leaders, writers and poets. Here you can also see the burial places of the fighters who defended the independence of Israel in the late 1940s, the graves of the victims of the 1929 Jewish pogroms.
It is curious that some Russian stars are also trying to buy a place on the holy land for themselves. At least, this has been said more than once by domestic and foreign media. Iosif Kobzon and Alla Pugacheva have allegedly already been provided with a place in the most expensive cemetery on the planet. True, the artists themselves, of course, did not confirm this information.
It is hard to believe that the road to paradise can be “paved” for oneself with a lot of money. Nevertheless, the nature of worldly deeds and deeds of a person during life also largely determines his fate after death. And what, in fact, is the difference between the most expensive cemetery in Jerusalem and some tiny, in a tiny village?
