What Happens In A Mausoleum?

• Mausoleums are freestanding, architectural monuments that house the burial site, burial chamber or cremated remains of a deceased person or persons. Going back to antiquity, such famous structures as the Great Pyramids, the Taj Mahal and the Terracotta army of China's Qin Shi Huang were built as mausoleums to mark the burial site of famous rulers. In recent centuries, the lower aristocracy and middle class people have commissioned the construction of small mausoleums in cemeteries for the interment of entire families.
  
  On the retail level, many cemeteries build empty mausoleums with over 100 spaces and sell these spaces to the public. Unlike a grave plot, the visiting area inside these commercial mausoleums is climate-controlled, allowing loved ones to comfortably visit the decreased throughout the entire year.
  
  

Individual Above-Ground Crypt

• The smallest type of mausoleum is an individual above-ground crypt. It usually consists of a four-walled stone structure with an ornate, lockable metal door. Many designs also include small windows at the top of the walls to let light in. The interior is usually lined with benches and religious iconography. At the center of the room is the sarcophagus; that's a massive stone structure with an ornate, air-tight lid that contains the casket of the deceased. In this way, the bereaved can feel "closer" to the departed while being protected from the unpleasant odors of decomposition.
  
  However, smaller above-ground crypts also exist for individuals. In the crypts, the door is permanently sealed, and the structure contains only the sarcophagus or ashes.
  
  

Public, Above-Ground Crypt

• Commonly found in cemeteries built since the 20th century, these public mausoleums offer two types of above-ground accommodations for the deceased: sepulchral spaces and cinerary urn spaces. Here, the walls of the elegant, tranquil and climate-controlled interior of the building are lined with individually sealed chambers containing either the casket or urn of the deceased. Each chamber is capped by a large plaque with the deceased's name, date of birth and any prayers, data or quotes the family requests. Long, sleek wooden or marble benches face these walls, allowing the bereaved to rest while visiting.
  
  

Burial Vault (Underground Crypt)

• As the most expensive style of mausoleums, burial vaults appear in the Taj Mahaj and many of history's most famous and extravagant funereal structures. With a burial vault, the sarcophagus containing the casket is placed in a subterranean structure with arched ceilings. Accessible by stairway, the vaults can be very large, allowing for multiple sarcophagi to be interred over a long period of time.
  
  On the ground level, the mausoleum simply consists of a massive stone, metal or glass architectural monument. Visitors can wander through the structure, marveling at the epitaphs engraved on the walls and other visual tributes to the decreased. Sometimes a complete chapel is built on the ground floor of the monument, allowing visitors to attend religious services.
  
  Additionally, monuments like the Taj Mahal and the Higashi Otani mausoleum in Japan are surrounded by beautifully maintained gardens and pools.