Not far from Baku’s Martyr’s Lane is another cemetery known as the Alley of Honor. This cemetery is not for regular people, rather it is for the famous, important, and illustrious Azerbaijani people, including former Presidents, politicians, musicians, actors, singers, Continue reading “Site 197: Baku’s Alley of Honor”
One of the reasons I like visiting cemeteries and other memorials is that I learn some history that passed me by, either during my own lifetime (or often before it). I was still in high school when the Soviet Union broke up, but was really only aware of the larger Continue reading “Site 196: Baku’s Martyrs’ Alley”
Kyrgyzstan is one of the real highlights of Central Asia. I had heard from a few people who visited how beautiful the landscapes were, and they weren’t wrong. The mountains, valleys, lakes, and animals (yaks, cows, horses, sheep, and eagles) all made for some Continue reading “Site 195: Kyrgyzstan’s Burana Tower”
Almaty is hardly known as a tourist destination, and that’s how I like it. Even though it lies at the far eastern edge of Central Asia, it has a very European feel to it, as evidenced by its grand leafy boulevards, impressive buildings, and the many monuments Continue reading “Site 194: Almaty’s Memorials”
A female angel draped over a monument in a moment of overwhelming grief. This seems to be common motif in many a cemetery around the world, yet every version of this statue originates with the statue created by the sculptor William Story for his wife Continue reading “Iconic Statue: The Angel of Grief”
As someone who has visited her fair share of cemeteries, several facts become apparent after a while. The first is that most statues in cemeteries tend to be copies. Within a particular cemetery you may see one or ten or even fifty copies (or near copies) of the same statue. Continue reading “Iconic Statue: The Monteverde Angel”
One thing that’s true of the grand cemeteries of Europe is that they often contain the graves of famous artists, writers, musicians, philosophers, politicians, and more. Assistens Cemetery is no different. Although this cemetery first started as a burial Continue reading “Site 193: Copenhagen’s Assistens Cemetery”
The last time I was in London I only managed to visit 4 of the Magnificent 7 cemeteries – Abney Park, Brompton, Kensal Green, and Highgate West and East– and vowed that I would visit the other three the next time I was there. However, as I was in the UK Continue reading “Site 192: London’s West Norwood Cemetery”
As you drive north from Glasgow into the highlands of Scotland, you might pass what is one of Scotland’s most picturesque village, Luss. The village is located on Loch Lomond and is very popular with tourists. In the middle of town lies the church, surrounded Continue reading “Site 191: Luss Parish Churchyard”
In the centre of Glasgow, surrounded by new and renovated buildings all around, lies one of the city’s oldest graveyards. Originally established in 1719, the cemetery was active for nearly 200 years, finally closing in 1915. For a time it was the place to be Continue reading “Site 189: Glasgow’s Ramshorn Graveyard”
After some lovely weather in Edinburgh, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised by the grey clouds and drizzle that greeted me on my first day in Glasgow. Luckily it wasn’t windy or raining that hard, which meant a nice easy day of exploring Glasgow’s Continue reading “Site 189: Glasgow’s Necropolis”
Even though I always had Dean Cemetery on my list of cemeteries to visit in Edinburgh, it always seemed a distant second to other more well-known cemeteries, like Greyfriars Kirkyard. Yet this cemetery turned out to be a hidden treasure and certainly Continue reading “Site 188: Edinburgh’s Dean Cemetery”
One of the most iconic places to visit in Edinburgh is its castle, which dominates the skyline from almost everywhere you go in the city. The castle itself is interesting to visit in and of its own right – including the prison where many prisoners were kept, Continue reading “Site 187: Edinburgh Castle’s Dog Cemetery”
As I was walking towards Edinburgh Castle, a cemetery at the base of the hill caught my eye and I knew I would have to go there once my visit to the top of the hill was finished. This was of course St Cuthbert’s Burial Ground, a cemetery that has been Continue reading “Site 186: Edinburgh’s St. Cuthbert’s Burial Ground”
Edinburgh has its fair share of burial grounds, and in somewhat reverse order I visited the Old Calton Burial Ground after visiting the New one. Due to some of the monuments in the cemetery (the Martyrs’ Monument and David Hume’s mausoleum), Continue reading “Site 186: Edinburgh’s Old Calton Burial Ground”
stone and dust 