10 most famous cemeteries

There are many cemeteries in the world that serve as a kind of museums. The attendance of some of them is so high that they even lead tours. Here are ten of these famous cemeteries.

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1. La Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina

A lot of famous citizens of Argentina rest in this cemetery, and some of the tombstones have the status of historical monuments. Here is the grave of Eva Peron, the charismatic wife of Juan Peron, who twice became president of Argentina. Eva Peron's grave is visited by many visitors every year. For the convenience of tourists, walking tours are organized at the cemetery.

2. Arlington National Cemetery, Washington DC

This military cemetery is considered a true symbol of American patriotism. Participants of numerous wars, US Presidents, Chief Justices of the US Supreme Court and astronauts are buried here. Over 300,000 graves are located on a large area of the cemetery (almost 3 sq. km). Burial at Arlington Cemetery is governed by Section 553.2 of Article 32 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations. Particular attention of tourists is attracted by the ceremony of changing the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier. In summer and spring, the changing of the guard takes place every half an hour, and from October to March every hour.

3. Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague

There are no graves of especially famous people in this cemetery. But it is famous for its antiquity - people are buried here starting from the 15th century. Over the centuries, the cemetery has become one of the largest areas in Europe covered with gravestones.

4. Pierre-Lachaise Cemetery, Paris

The Pierre-Lachaise cemetery is one of the most visited in the world. Many celebrities are buried here, including singer Edith Piaf, writer Oscar Wilde, The Doors leader Jim Morrison and many others. There are many trees in the old cemetery, and the graves are so crowded that it is very easy to get lost here without a guide and without a map. To make it easier for visitors to navigate, special excursions are organized here.

5. Centralfriedhof Cemetery, Vienna

This is one of the largest cemeteries in Europe. On its territory, which occupies about 2.5 square kilometers, there are more than three million graves. A special bus constantly runs along the main roads of the cemetery. There is a Catholic church in the center of the cemetery.

Many famous musicians (Beethoven, Schubert, Johann Strauss) and statesmen are buried at the Centralfriedhof cemetery. There is also a symbolic gravestone of Wolfgang Mozart.

6. Sao Joao Batista Cemetery, Rio de Janeiro

The first burial in the Sao Joao Batista cemetery took place on December 4, 1852. It was a little girl, Rosaura, who was only four years old. Today, the cemetery has grown very much, and many celebrities have found their last rest on it. There are so many famous graves here that the cemetery even got the nickname - "cemetery of the stars."

7. Highgate Cemetery, London

There are a lot of tombstones in the cemetery, made in the Gothic style, which gives it a special gloom. Horror films A Taste of Dracula's Blood and From Beyond the Grave were filmed in this naturally sinister setting. Ghosts have been seen at the cemetery more than once, and in March 1970, the case took such a serious turn that a real raid on vampires was even organized, and the police had to work hard not to let the violent crowd of “ghost hunters” into the cemetery.

Today, special tours are led to the most famous graves and those places where ghosts are most often seen.

8 Greyfriars Cemetery, Edinburgh

The cemetery is located in the historic part of the city next to the Greyfriars Church. The cemetery is very old - it was formed in 1561. But world fame brought him a little Skye Terrier named Bobby. For 14 years he never left the grave of his beloved master, and after his death he was even honored to be buried at the cemetery gates. It was impossible to bury the animal next to the owner, as the ground of the cemetery is illuminated.

Ghosts are also often seen in this cemetery. Of particular concern is the grave of the lawyer George Mackenzie, who was buried in the cemetery in 1691. From 1990 to 2006, more than 350 people claimed to have been attacked by a ghost. Moreover, people showed bruises, scratches and even bites. These events were even dedicated to a special television program.

9. Prazeres Cemetery, Lisbon

The cemetery is located at the last stop of tram number 28, which runs along a very popular route among tourists. Therefore, most tourists finish sightseeing in the capital of Portugal with a tour of the cemetery. The word Prazeres (Prazeresh) is translated from Portuguese as "pleasure". But no one tried to put any particularly gloomy meaning into the name of the cemetery. It's just named after the area it's in.

The cemetery is located on the top of a hill with a beautiful view of the 25 de Abril bridge.

10. City of the Dead, Cairo

This cemetery is amazing not only for its tombstones, but also for the fact that almost more people live on its territory than rest in the ground. People have been living and dying here for almost a thousand years, and the graves of the dead literally coexist with the huts and shops of the living. Of course, only the poorest part of the population of Cairo lives in such unsuitable conditions.