A mausoleum is a free-standing, usually monumental tomb building in which one or more people are interred above ground. What sets it apart from an ordinary grave is that it is a building — one you can enter, or that is at least designed as a structure, with walls, a roof and often its own doorway.
Where the name comes from
The word goes back to the tomb of Mausolus, satrap of Caria, at Halicarnassus — present-day Bodrum in Turkey. Completed around the middle of the fourth century BC, it was so imposing that it was counted among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, and the ruler’s name became the name of the building type.
Well-known later examples include the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome (now the Castel Sant’Angelo) and the Taj Mahal at Agra, built as a tomb for Mumtaz Mahal.
Form and construction
Mausolea are frequently centrally planned: symmetrical about a central point, on a square, circular or octagonal plan, often under a dome. The form suits the purpose — there is no liturgical length to accommodate, only a dignified centre.
- Construction. Heavy, solid walls of stone or brick; the building is meant to last for centuries
- Ventilation. Burial chambers need controlled ventilation to prevent damp and decay
- Damp. In restoration work, rising damp is the main problem: many mausolea sit directly on the ground with no damp-proof course
- Related types. A funerary chapel is a chapel with a burial function, a columbarium holds urns, and a crypt lies beneath a church rather than standing alone
Related terms
- Funerary chapel
- Crypt
- Columbarium
- Centrally planned building
- Dome
- Monument
- Mastaba
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