Necropolis

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A necropolis (plural: necropolises or necropoleis) is a large cemetery or burial place (from Greek nekropolis "city of the dead"). Apart from the occasional application of the word to modern cemeteries outside large towns, the term is chiefly used of burial grounds near the sites of the centers of ancient civilizations.

Contents 1 History and purpose 2 Recent Uncovering 3 List of necropoleis 3.1 Algeria 3.2 Austria 3.3 Australia 3.4 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.5 Bulgaria 3.6 China 3.7 Croatia 3.8 Cyprus 3.9 Egypt 3.10 France 3.11 Israel 3.12 Italy 3.13 Malaysia 3.14 Malta 3.15 Morocco 3.16 Pakistan 3.17 Peru 3.18 Russia 3.19 United Kingdom 3.20 United States 3.21 Vatican City 4 See also 5 References and footnotes

History and purpose

The oldest necropolis in the world is probably the Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni in Paola, Malta which dates back to 2500 BC.

Necropolises were built for many reasons. Sometimes their origin was purely religious: the Valley of the Kings in Egypt is a prime example. Other cultures created necropolises in response to prohibitions on burials within city limits: especially noteworthy and rich of artpieces are those from the Etruscan civilization found in southern Tuscany and northern Lazio regions of Italy. In the Roman Empire, roads immediately outside towns therefore came to be lined with funerary monuments. Examples of this kind of necropolis can be found on the Appian Way just outside Rome and at the Alyscamps in Arles, France.

During the 19th century, necropolises enjoyed a revival spurred by the Victorian fashion for large, elaborate memorials.

A modern-day example of a necropolis may be Colma, California. This suburb of San Francisco has been used for decades to bury the dead of San Francisco, as well as those of other nearby towns. The citizens had felt it necessary to bury the dead outside of city limits, and perhaps out of sight as well. Colma recently has become more of a working-class suburb, but the dead still outnumber the living in this small town.

The word is often used with a different connotation in fantasy literature; for instance, it might refer to a city populated by zombies or other undead creatures.

Recent Uncovering

Three years ago, workers excavating for a parking garage discovered a necropolis in Vatican City. Once it was discovered, work on the parking garage stopped and efforts to restore the site started. As of October 9, 2006, it is now open to the public. Visitors can use a catwalk to view the necropolis from a building built over the ruins. ^{[1] [2]}

List of necropoleis

Algeria

• Nepasa

Austria

• Imperial Crypt (Vienna)

Australia

• Rookwood Cemetery (Sydney)
• Waverley Cemetery (Sydney)
• Toowong Cemetery (Brisbane)
• Karrakatta Cemetery (Perth)
• Springvale Botanical Cemetery (Melbourne)
• Melbourne General Cemetery (Melbourne)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Radimlja

Bulgaria

• Varna Necropolis

China

• Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
• Ming Dynasty Tombs

Croatia

• Stara Novalja

Cyprus

• Amathus

Egypt

• Cairo
• Great Pyramid of Giza
• Memphis
• Saqqara
• Siwa Oasis

France

• Alyscamps (Arles)
• The Panthéon (Paris)
• Saint Denis Basilica (Saint-Denis)

Israel

• Beit Shaarim

Italy

• Cerveteri
• Lipari (Aeolian Islands)
• Locri
• Pantalica
• Taranto

Malaysia

• Nirvana Memorial Park

Malta

• Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni

Morocco

• Chellah

Pakistan

• Makli

Peru

• Paracas

Russia

• Kremlin Wall Necropolis

United Kingdom

• Brookwood Cemetery
• London Necropolis railway station
• London Necropolis Company
• Glasgow Necropolis

United States

• Colma, California

Vatican City

See also

• Cemetery
• Catacombs
• Crypt

References and footnotes

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.bs:Nekropola

bg:Некропол de:Nekropole es:Necrópolis fr:Nécropole it:Necropoli he:נקרופוליס nl:Necropolis pl:Nekropola pt:Necrópole ru:Некрополь sh:Nekropola fi:Nekropoli sv:Nekropol

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