What is a mausoleum? Famous mausoleums of the world

What is a mausoleum? This is a special kind of architectural structures, examples of which can be found today in different parts of the world. When and where was the first mausoleum built? What are the features of the structure of this type? And where are the most famous mausoleums of the world?

What is a mausoleum?

In the middle of IV century BC. E. On the territory of modern Turkey was built the first ever building of this type. It was the mausoleum of Mausolus in Halicarnassus, the famous ruler of the Carians. The giant structure was on the list of Seven Wonders of the World. It stood until the Middle Ages and was destroyed by a powerful earthquake. Today, from the grandiose tomb of King Mausolus, there were only ruins, and at one time it looked rather majestic.

So, what is a mausoleum? The term itself comes from the Greek word mausoleion, which, in turn, is associated with the name of the Karian king Mausolus. It is a monumental funerary structure with a special chamber intended for the storage of remains, ashes or the embalmed body of the deceased. In one such structure, there may be several graves or crypts. Mausoleums can be separate buildings or be part of a cathedral.

These funerary structures were very popular in the times of Ancient Rome, as well as in the Middle Ages (in the eastern countries). In the twentieth century on the planet appeared a lot of pompous mausoleums, dedicated to famous politicians and totalitarian leaders. Among them are the mausoleums of VI Lenin (USSR), K. Gotwald (Czechoslovakia), Mao Zedong (PRC), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), Enver Hoxha (Albania) and others.

We figured out what a mausoleum is. Now let's make a virtual tour of the most famous mausoleums in the world.

Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Mausoleum

This outstanding monument of eastern architecture is located in the south of Kazakhstan, in the city of Turkestan. It was erected on the grave of the poet Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, who made a huge contribution to the spread of Islam in Central Asia. The poet died in 1166, but the construction of the present mausoleum began only two centuries after his death.

According to archival materials, the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi was built under the leadership of Tamerlane himself. The famous commander personally determined the parameters of the future structure and even gave recommendations on his decor and interior decoration.

The mausoleum is a massive rectangular structure with huge portals and domes. The central door of the tomb is decorated with highly artistic carvings on wood and ivory. This monument of architecture and history is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

The fiery revolutionary Ho Chi Minh never lived to the historical moment of the formation of a single and independent Vietnam. However, the solemn opening of his mausoleum was held in 1975, when Saigon, controlled by the southern troops, had already capitulated.

The architects of the grandiose building in Hanoi confessed that they were inspired by Lenin's mausoleum in Moscow. This is evident from the similar pyramidal foundation of the Vietnamese structure. However, the upper part of the mausoleum is quite authentic. It is a massive cubic structure with rectangular columns and a three-tiered, typical Vietnamese roof.

The embalming of the Vietnamese ruler was assisted by Moscow specialists. The body of Ho Chi Minh lies in a small and poorly lit hall, in which you can only go in two. Talking or taking photos in this room is strictly prohibited.

Mausoleum of Kim Il Sung

In the north-east of the most closed capital of the world, the body of Kim Il Sung's "great leader" and "eternal president" rests. The mausoleum of the ruler is located within the magnificent palace of Kym-Susan. A few foreign tourists are impressed not so much by the mausoleum in Pyongyang, as the ceremony of his visit. Here everything is much tougher and stricter than in the same Hanoi.

Everyone wishing to visit the tomb of the leader is obliged to confiscate cameras and video cameras. Then each tourist is carefully inspected and checked by a metal detector. After all these procedures, visitors are given out players with headphones and conduct from the hall to the hall.

During this tour, headphones say mournful stories about the great loss of the Korean people. Finally, in the last room, lit by red light, there is a glass sarcophagus with the embalmed body of Kim Il Sung. According to the rules, he must bow three times.