The Most Beautiful Cemeteries in the World

• 01

  Okunoin Cemetery, Mount Koya, Japan

  
  via In Search of Lost Places

  Deep in the mountains of Koyasan, this Buddhist cemetery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. The 200,000 gravestones in this graveyard belong to people who wanted to be near to the resting place of Kobo Dashi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. 

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• 02

  Glasgow Necropolis, Scotland

  
  via Pxleyes

  Glasgow Necropolis was built in 1831 during the period of Classical Revival architectural fashion. While around 50,000 burials have taken place there, there are only 3,500 tombs in the cemetery. Adjacent to Glasgow Cathedral, the cemetery has been called "a city for the dead". 

• 03

  Cimetière du Pere Lachaise, Paris, France

  
  via Petitfute

  Cimetière du Pere Lachaise (Cemetery of the East) is the largest cemetery in France and the most visited necropolis in the world. With 70,000 burial plots of 44 acres of land, it is home to many funerary art styles including Gothic graves, ancient mausoleums, and Haussmanian burial chambers. Many famous French figures are buried there including Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. 

• 04

  South Park Street Cemetery, Kolkata, India

  
  via Roads and Kingdoms

  One of the earliest non-church cemeteries in the world, South Park Street Cemetery was opened in 1767 and used actively until the 1830s. Nearly 1,900 graves display a melting pot of architectural and design influences, ranging from Gothic to Indo-Saracenic to classical antiquity. Wonderfully overgrown by nature, this cemetery is an experience in itself. 

  
  

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• 05

  Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Palestine

  
  via Flight Centre

  The Mount of Olives is a mountain slope adjacent to Jerusalem's Old City in Palestine. The southern part of the mountain was part of the Silwan necropolis, which was part of the Judean kingdom. Many key parts of the life of Jesus took place on this mountain, as documented in the Gospels. It is a site of Christian worship and today is a site of pilgrimage for Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Protestants. It has around 150,000 graves and has been used as a Jewish cemetery for 3,000 years. 

• 06

  Abney Park Cemetery, London, England

  
  via Time Out

  Abney Park Cemetery is one of the 'Magnificent Seven' cemeteries in London. It is built on the estates of Fleetwood House and Abney House, home to a non-conformist and hymn writer. This made the cemetery popular with religious dissenters. The cemetery also has 2,500 species of plants. 

  
  

• 07

  Panteon Antiguo, Oaxaca, Mexico

  
  via Pinterest

  On the 1st and 2nd of November on 'Dia de los Muertos' or Day of the Dead, the Panteon Antiguo is visited by hundreds to mourn and celebrate the lives of those buried at the cemetery. The fiesta includes mescal spiked hot chocolate, 12 piece bands, altar competitions and costumed grievers. 

  
  

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• 08

  Waverley Cemetery, Sydney, Australia

  
  via Ritebook

  Waverly Cemetery was opened in 1877 and sits on the top of the cliffs at Bronte, Sydney, where it overlooks the Pacific Ocean. It has many intact Victorian and Edwardian monuments and is home to many famous Australians. 

  
  

• 09

  Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, USA

  
  via Visit Savannah

  Bonaventure Cemetery was created in 1992 near the Wilmington River. It became famous after being mentioned in the 1994 novel  Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. Scattered with colorful flowers in spring and weeping willows, the cemetery is also known for its beautiful angel statues. 

• 10

  Saint Andrew's Cathedral Graveyard, Fife, Scotland

  
  via Mapio

  The Cathedral of Saint Andrew was built in 1158 and was the center of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland. However, by the 16th century Catholic mass was outlawed and the cathedral fell into ruin. Most of the tombstones in the graveyard belong to important Scottish members of society. 

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