Česká verze: nejvetsi_hrbitovy_na_svete

• 917 hectares
• Buried: 5 million
• Najaf, Iraq

The largest cemetery in the world is Wadi al-Salam. It is also one of the oldest.

The age and vast expanse of Wadi al-Salam make it difficult to confirm some of the information about it. For example, there is no consensus on its exact size or how many people are buried there. The most common estimate of the number of people buried in Wadi al-Salam is five million, and according to UNESCO, its area is 917 hectares (although not everyone agrees with these estimates). Its area also continues to expand as deceased individuals are buried.

Wadi al-Salam is a very important place for many Shiite Muslims. It is located at a site that Imam Ali, a significant figure in Shiite Islam, allegedly declared as the gateway to paradise. Therefore, many Shiite Muslims strive to be buried here after their deaths. Approximately 50,000 people are buried here every year, and millions more visit, whether they knew someone buried in Wadi al-Salam or not, to pay their respects and pray.

The exact age of Wadi al-Salam is not known. However, UNESCO estimates that burials have been taking place at the site for 1,400 years.

• 423 hectares
• Burials: 212,000 (as of 2008)
• Established: 1978
• Location: Calverton, NY, United States

Calverton National Cemetery is one of several national cemeteries located on New York's Long Island. The national cemetery system established it because other national cemeteries on Long Island were running out of space.

It is now home to several significant memorials and serves as a burial site for Medal of Honor recipients and other notable veterans.

• 397 hectares
• Buried: 60,000 (approximately)
• Established: 1999
• Location: Elwood, IL, United States

The Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery is known not only for its size but also for having the first federally approved memorial honoring LGBTQ+ veterans. The government officially established the memorial in 2015—activists began campaigning for it in 2011.

At the time, veteran Stanley Jenczyk wrote a letter to President Obama requesting a memorial to honor LGBTQ+ members of the armed forces. The unveiling ceremony was attended by veterans whose military experiences date back to the 1950s.

• 391 hectares
• Burials: 256,000
• Established: 1877
• Location: Ohlsdorf Cemetery in the Ohlsdorf district, Germany

The Ohlsdorf Cemetery is unique for several reasons. Firstly, it is not just a cemetery. Parts of the grounds also serve as recreational areas. The cemetery features three museums, numerous beautiful sculptures, impressive trees, and beautiful rhododendron bushes.

As a result, it is a popular attraction not only for those who have loved ones buried here but also for ordinary tourists. Every year, approximately two million people visit the Ohlsdorf Cemetery.

• 303 hectares
• Buried: Over 1 million
• Established: 1338 (?)
• Location: Istanbul, Turkey (41°00'40„N 29°01'34“E)

The Karacaahmet Cemetery is named after the warrior Karacaahmet, who is buried there. Visitors often come to his grave to pray. The engravings on the tombstones also reveal how the class system in Turkey evolved over the years. For example, turbans are engraved on men's graves. The style of the turban indicates the social status of the person buried there.

Scientists are not entirely sure how old the Karacaahmet Cemetery is. However, evidence suggests it could date back to 1338.

• 280 hectares
• Buried: Over 1 million
• Established: 1867
• Location: Sydney, Australia

Rookwood Cemetery is considered by many to be the largest cemetery in the Southern Hemisphere. It also offers guests a rare glimpse into the past, as its appearance reflects Victorian ideals of proper cemetery management. For example, designers meticulously decorate it with flowers that Victorians would choose for their symbolic meaning.

In addition to serving as a cemetery, the site is a sanctuary for local birds and plants due to its natural environment. Its architecture also represents a uniquely wide range of styles. The cemetery consists of different sections for different religions, denominations, and cultural groups.

Monuments and structures in the cemetery reflect various cultural approaches to burial. These are all reasons why many people visit it regardless of whether they have loved ones buried there.

• 297 hectares
• Burials: 235,000 (approximately)
• Established: 1845
• Location: Cincinnati, OH, United States

Like many other largest cemeteries in the world, the story of Spring Grove Cemetery provides an interesting history lesson. The onset of the cholera epidemic in the 1830s and 1840s prompted residents of Cincinnati to demand a cemetery that would allow them to visit their deceased loved ones in a calmer and more comforting environment than the ugly cemeteries throughout the city.

Members of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society therefore formed a cemetery association to acquire the land needed to create such a burial ground. They eventually created a cemetery that many consider to be an impressive example of landscape art. Visitors can explore the grounds and arboretum every day from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

• 252 hectares
• Burials: (approximately) 400,000
• Established: 1864
• Location: Arlington County, VA, United States

Arlington National Cemetery is not only one of the largest cemeteries in the world but also one of the most famous military cemeteries. The land on which it is located belonged to George Washington's step-grandson. It eventually passed to the family of Robert E. Lee, but when the Lees were forced to flee during the Civil War, Union forces occupied it.

This occupation is why the land became a cemetery. War deaths resulted in a shortage of burial space at existing cemeteries throughout the Washington, D.C. area. In 1864, the army began burying bodies on the grounds, and the War Department officially designated parts of the land for this purpose. After the war, the War Department kept the land in its possession but compensated the Lee family for it.

Who can be buried at Arlington National Cemetery? If a veteran was honorably discharged and had at least one day of active service, they technically qualify for interment in an above-ground tomb. The criteria for burial in the ground are stricter.

• 238 hectares
• Buried: 330,000
• Established: 1874
• Location: Vienna, Austria

Zentralfriedhof, also known as the Vienna Central Cemetery, was built due to the increasing population of Vienna as a result of industrialization. City officials realized that existing city cemeteries would not provide enough space for future burial needs. The cemetery they built was unique for its time because, as one of the few cemeteries in the region, it served multiple denominations. This caused controversy in the first years of its existence.

Zentralfriedhof is now known as one of the largest cemeteries in the world. The cemetery also served as the filming location for two iconic scenes from the film „The Third Man.“ Today, visitors can stop by the graves of their loved ones, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere reminiscent of a park, or take a tour of the grounds with an audio guide, mobile app, or augmented reality tour.

Notable individuals buried in this cemetery include Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

• 151 hectares
• Buried: 185,000+
• Established: 1863
• Location: Indianapolis, IN, United States

The Civil War and the growing population prompted the need to build a new cemetery in the Indianapolis area in the 1860s. The result was Crown Hill Cemetery, which became one of the largest cemeteries in the world and an official national historic landmark.

To ensure a pleasant atmosphere, cemetery designers hired landscape architect John Chislett to design its layout. Chislett chose a beautiful location with natural hills, trees, and grassy areas that offer a soothing experience for those who visit the site. Crown Hill Cemetery now features, for example, a Gothic chapel and the graves of prominent individuals such as John Dillinger. Visitors can explore the cemetery with a guide either privately or as part of a group.

Cemeteries not only sprawl horizontally but also vertically. The largest and tallest of these extravagant cemeteries is the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica, a vertical cemetery in the city of Santos in São Paulo state, Brazil. Its construction began in 1983 and was completed in 1991. It was the first vertical cemetery in Latin America.

¹⁾

There are more than 14,000 graves in this 14-storey building. Its further expansion is planned to accommodate 25,000 graves and reach a height of 108 meters, equivalent to approximately 30 stories.
Since 2023, Brazilian footballer Pelé has been buried in one of the tombs.

GPS coordinates: 23° 56' 54„ S, 46° 20' 37“ W

The largest Jewish cemetery in the world is located in Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives. Because Jews expect the coming of the Lord precisely to this place, they allow themselves to be buried in the Cedron Valley and on the Mount of Olives, so a cemetery was established here 3000 years ago, which was gradually expanding.²⁾

According to estimates, there are around 150,000 graves here.

The Olšany Cemeteries are the largest Czech cemetery – it is estimated that approximately 2,000,000 deceased have been buried here during their existence. There are over 112,000 preserved tombstones at the Olšany Cemeteries.

When it comes to area, there may be some debate about the largest Czech cemetery, especially between the Olšany Cemeteries and The Central Cemetery in Brno (in the cadastral area of Štýřice).

The area of The Olšany Cemeteries is 50.17 hectares.

The Central Cemetery in Brno has an area of only 43 hectares (grave sites), but with the adjacent park, it covers a total of 56 hectares.



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