10 Most Exclusive Cemeteries in the World

Have you ever thought about where you want to be buried and next to whom? There are plenty of cemeteries around to choose from, but you might soon realize that your options are limited as you can see below, some of the nicer ones can get pretty pricey.

What is a cemetery?

A cemetery is an area of land or a building where dead bodies are buried. Cemeteries can be public or private. They vary in size, and may have different types of graves, including individual graves, family plots, and group graves. Some cemeteries have mausoleums or tombs for the more important burials.

Types of cemeteries

Cemeteries are places where people can bury their dead. There are different types of cemeteries, including old-fashioned graveyards, traditional Jewish burial grounds, Christian cemeteries, and Muslim cemeteries. Cemeteries have a long history, dating back to the ancient Egyptians.

Cemetery design has changed over the years to meet the needs of different groups of people. Old-fashioned graveyards are often large and formal, while traditional Jewish burial grounds are usually smaller and more intimate. Christian cemeteries often have a mix of traditional and modern features, and Muslim cemeteries reflect the Islamic faith in their design.

Despite changes in cemetery design, one thing that has always been true is that cemeteries are places where people can mourn the death of loved ones.

History of Cemeteries

The history of cemeteries can be traced back to pre-historic times, when humans buried their dead in simple gravesites. From there, the tradition of burying the dead grew and evolved over time. Today, cemeteries occupy a significant place in human culture and have played an important role in the development of civilizations.

Cemeteries can be found all over the world and are used for a variety of purposes, including religious ceremonies, burial grounds for the deceased, and memorials to loved ones. Cemeteries can be divided into two main types: public and private. Public cemeteries are open to the public and typically contain a large number of gravesites. Private cemeteries are typically only accessible by members of the deceased’s family or friends and contain a smaller number of gravesites.

The history of cemeteries is intimately connected with the history of funerals. Funerals developed from customs dating back to pre-historic times when people buried their dead with flowers or food as an offering to the gods in hopes that they would provide sustenance for their deceased loved ones in the afterlife. As civilizations evolved, funeral customs changed along with them, but one thing remained consistent: funerals were always held to honour and farewell the deceased.

Cemeteries Types

1 – The Egyptian Pyramids

With their grandeur and opulence, it is hard to beat the Egyptian pyramids for the title of the most expensive resting place, as these burial sites can even be seen from outer space, surely which must impress the Gods of the afterlife. While the Pyramids of Giza in Cairo may not be a cemetery in the true sense of the word, they are an obvious testament to the afterlife and of course death itself.

2 – Shirokorechenskoe Cemetery

The Shirokorechenskoe Cemetery is the final resting place for leaders of a myriad of Mafia gangs. This cemetery has graves boasting magnificent polished black marble and other precious rocks that are exquisitely carved by master craftsmen. This graveyard was only established in the 1990s and can be found in Yekaterinburg, Russia, a city that has become quite famous as a home for Mafia bosses in life, and now in death.

3 – Woodlawn Cemetery

At the Woodlawn cemetery in the Bronx, you can secure space for the site of your family mausoleum for as little as $1.5 million, and that is only for the land, then you also have to build the mausoleum itself. This expense could be worth it if you want to be laid to rest amongst people such as the Belmonts and the Woolworths. If you’re lucky, and you’re willing to take a less impressive site, you can secure a site at Woodlawn Cemetery for as little as $300,000.

4 – Forest Lawn Memorial Park

While talking about mausoleum costs, the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale in the Hollywood Hills will accommodate your family and yourself for as little as $825,000. This graveyard was created in 1906 as a lawn cemetery and is famous for its painstakingly manicured lawns. You will also be among notables such as Ricky Nelson, Rod Steiger, Bette Davis and Lucille Ball. It was the first cemetery in the world to tuck its grave markers into the side of the hill so that they are obscured from the naked eye when viewed from a distance.

5 – Cementerio de la Recoleta

At the Cementerio de la Recoleta in Buenos Aires, you can be buried alongside big names such as Eva Peron, if your family has the funds when you’re gone. You will be able to secure your little plot here for about the same cost of an apartment in Manhattan, but in exchange, you will rest with the knowledge that you are among the who’s who of vintage Argentinean VIPs.

6 – Santa Barbara Cemetery

If it is a view you are looking for, you won’t find one much better than that from the beautiful Santa Barbara Cemetery in California. The Santa Barbara Cemetery is situated on a cliff overlooking the mighty Pacific Ocean and that view will cost you around $83,000. However, if you feel this is a little steep you can get a cheaper site for around $20,000 which gets you closer to the water but you do sacrifice your view. Plus, when you compare the price to that which other Californian residents are paying for their ocean views your resting place is really a bargain.

7 – Waverley Cemetery

On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, you can be laid to rest at the Waverley Cemetery in Sydney. Your views of the ocean will be equally stunning, but a fraction of the cost compared to a Californian plot. On a wintry day, the cemetery resembles the mystery and passion of the Irish moors, but in the summertime, the sites are bathed in beautiful sunshine. Best Place for Trade BUsiness.

8 – Highgate Cemetery

If it’s a resting place among the famous you are looking for, the Highgate Cemetery in London is worth a look. It is here you will share a site with souls such as Charles Dickens’ parents, Karl Marks, George Eliot and Douglas Adams.

9 – Capuchin Cemetery

There are some things that money can’t buy, such as the priceless decorations in the Capuchin Cemetery in Rome. This cemetery is actually decorated with the bones of around 4,000 deceased Capuchin monks. Their skeletons are dressed in religious robes and make up the ceiling, arch and the light fitting details in the adjacent crypt.

10 – Cimitiere du Montparnasse

Being buried at the Cimitiere du Montparnasse in Paris is the choice for those who are looking for tranquillity above all else. The pretty, leafy landscape is the resting place of people such as Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison.

While you may not have considered spending tens of thousands of dollars – or even into the millions of dollars – on your final resting place, your family and loved ones will want the best for you when you die.

Have you ever thought about whether you’ll be able to afford your place of rest? While you won’t have to worry about how much your burial plot will cost you because once you need it, you will no longer have a care in the world, consider how your family will pay for your funeral and burial site.