316 Items Tagged

Tombs

Lilongwe, Malawi

Hastings Kamuzu Banda Mausoleum

In Malawi, this is where the lion sleeps tonight.

Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery

Hundreds of medieval Islamic gravestones decorate the mountainous landscape in the largest cemetery in Turkey.

Ballineale, Ireland

Loughcrew Cairns

These Neolithic burial mounds and a still-intact passage tomb may have solar calendar significance on the spring and autumn equinoxes.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Tiny Tombs

In a city famous for its cemeteries, it's no wonder these are easy to overlook—they clock in at just a few inches tall.

Necropolis of Pantalica

Thousands of rock-cut tombs fill the cliffs of this Sicilian nature preserve.

Nihommatsu, Japan

Kurozuka (Black Tomb)

Local legend claims that this is the final resting place of an infamous cannibal hag.

The fate of the ancient native inhabitants of Cahokia in southwest Illinois remains a mystery.

Atlas Obscura’s Guide to the 10 Most Mystifying Places in Illinois

Creepy clowns, mysterious mounds, and a jail for two

Sponsored by The Illinois Office of Tourism

Tomb of the Unknown Warrior

A riverside stone memorial dedicated to an unidentified hero.

Brent Pelham, England

Tomb of Piers Shonks

A knight said to have slayed a dragon with the help of his winged dogs is buried inside the walls of a church.

Necropolis of Sant'Andrea Priu

A Nuragic tomb, a Roman tomb, and a Byzantine Church, all hidden inside a rock.

Taoyuan, Taiwan

Mausoleum of Chiang Kai-shek

The final resting place of the dictator of Taiwan.

Church of Santa Maria la Nova

Does this church in Naples hold the true tomb of Vlad the Impaler, the notoriously cruel figure who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula?

Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Hili Grand Tomb

In an Emirati park near the Omani border, a reconstructed Bronze Age tomb with impressive reliefs.

Tomb of the Netherlander

Tainan City, Taiwan

Tomb of the Netherlander

Behind a 300-year-old temple hides a small tomb said to house the bones of 17th-century Dutch soldiers.

Dona Paula's Tombstone

Legends of adultery, love affairs, and charity swirl around this mysterious 17th-century Portuguese woman.

Dilmun Burial Mounds

These 4,000-year-old tombs form a surreal landscape.

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

The Atlas Obscura Crossword: Hidden Crypts

AO Puzzles April 22, 2024

Is This the World's Oldest Eclipse Art?

There's something shady about the idea that an ancient rock carving on a Neolithic tomb in Ireland depicts the Moon blotting out the Sun.

Indi Bains April 4, 2024