History

• Mausoleum is derived from the great structure that was built as a burial place for King Mausola, a satrap of Caria, in the Persian Empire. It was built between 353 and 350 B.C. and was eventually named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
  
  

Architecture

• The architectural styles of mausoleums vary with the cultural styles of the countries or areas where they are built. The architecture ranges from very elaborate, such as the Taj Mahal, to very small and simple above-ground entombment. Some common types of architecture used are Baroque (lots of decoration and flowing lines); Classical (columns and geometrical, similar to ancient Greek designs); Gothic (many towers as well as pointed rather than rounded arches); and Egyptian (may be shaped like pyramids or have symbols such sphinxes, cobras, vultures or obelisks).
  
  

Famous Mausoleums

• Some of the most famous mausoleums around the world are the pyramids of Egypt, China and Nubia; the Taj Mahal in India; Mausoleum at Miniaturk, Istanbul; Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne; Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; Lenin's Mausoleum; presidential tombs at various locations in the United States and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
  
  

Modern Mausoleums

• Modern mausoleums are built to house many people's remains on one or more levels or floors. Today's mausoleums, built on cemetery land, are designed with full-sized spaces to be bought for entombment or small spaces to hold cremains.
  
  

Advantages of a Mausoleum

• Some of the advantages of a mausoleum from the perspective of a cemetery owner are saving ground space, saving the expense of machinery for opening and closing a grave and saving on the maintenance of the cemetery grounds