The first city-states themselves began as centres of religious ceremony first and then later on as a social community. The earliest religious work on record was called Gilgamesh and is more than 4,000 years old. It charts people’s desire to cheat death and live forever. It contains passages in it about a flood, very similar to the story of Noah’s Ark. Religion in Sumer seems to have been geared around offering sacrifices to the gods in return for being spared invasion or inundations. Each city had its own god to start with and eventually whole families of gods called pantheons were associated with an entire region.

Ancient Egypt had about two thousand gods at its height before Akhnaton denounced them all and proclaimed the one god – Aton. Egyptian gods were often animal or human in appearance. The King of Egypt was himself considered to be a god and so took on a more important role over the deity than, for example, was the case in Sumer.

The afterlife was seen as quite a sombre affair for Sumer but an important event in one’s existence for Egyptians, so their life was spent preparing for their death. A details analysis was written in the Egyptians’ Book Of The Dead. It explained what had to be done in order to enter eternity. Egypt’s leaders who died after the Pyramids had been built and occupied were interred in the Valley of the Kings in Upper Egypt. A pharaoh called Akhnaton declared a single god based on the Sun. He was to found monotheism – belief in only one god.

It was Alexander the Great who helped Greek religion and gods to spread eastwards. The Romans later conquered Greek cities but Greek culture conquered Roman hearts and minds. The Romans took these ideas as far as they travelled. The Greeks believed that all their gods lived on Mount Olympus. The king of the gods was Zeus and many others such as Ares, the god of war and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. For every Greek god, there was a Roman equivalent. Greek religious culture was summed up by a vast collection of odysseys and poems.

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Inside the dome are sculptures that represented seven gods which corresponded to seven planets (at the time.) Also this being a pantheon was also a dedication to all their other gods. In addition, there were altars inside so ancient Romans could pray or honor their gods. There was a giant hole called the Oculus in the roof that was supposedly the eye of the gods and is also thought it was to symbolize the heavens. This hole is also where one the few spaces where light is shined inside the Pantheon. The front of this building shows an inscription, M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIUM·FECIT, which means “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, consul for the third time, built this.” The pantheon was reconstructed many times but the emperor Hadrian was one who got the pantheon to its perfection.

The construction was probably one of the major things about the pantheon because without the brilliant architectural advances this temple might not be standing or would never have been built. One of the mysterious things about the pantheon is no one knows the identity of this building. Probably the easiest part of construction was the entrance. They built it with eight roman columns made of granite. The hardest part of the construction of this structure was the dome and its massive weight. So they just had to decrease the thickness as the height increased and also used a different type of concrete. Also one of Rome’s greatest innovations was the arch which they used to help with support and sustain the structure, which is why it’s still up today, thanks to the emperor Hadrian.

            The Roman Pantheon is one of the greatest ancient structures still standing. People from around the world study it to help with their own architectural designs. Similar figures of the pantheon would be libraries, universities, and more. Some items they used to build this would be of course concrete, air forming, and rebar. Some other mysterious of this building is the exact age, what else they used it for, and a lot of other things. The building of this structure took awhile but no one really knows for sure how long it took to build it. Overall the creation was a hard process but it paid of being one of the greatest examples of fine architecture and ancient structures.

            More history about the pantheon is that after Marcus Agrippa’s pantheon burned down, it was then reconstructed again by Domitia but it got struck by lightning and burned down. As I told you before Hadrian had the pantheon built to its perfection. Some important people’s bodies were buried here. During the fall of Rome this building luckily survived the barbarian attacks. Many additions were added when it was converted into a Christian church like the two bell towers on its sides. There was no dome as magnificent as this one until Duomo of Florence in the 1400’s. As a result of the architecture, history, and greatness the Roman Pantheon is one of the greatest ancient standing structures in the world today.

This is the Pantheon as we know it!  But a recent archaeological dig in Italy has revealed a Roman amphitheatre the size of the Pantheon at Portus, a major port which used to supply Rome and it’s legions.  This port now lies a good way inland close to the Fiumicino airport.

The excavation is being undertaken by a team of archaeologists from Italy with the assistance of experts from the Universities of Southampton and Cambridge and it’s believed this find may allow us to learn a little bit more about the life of the Emperor Trajan who ruled from 98AD to Ad117.

Although the site has over the years been excavated in part, it’s only now that this amphitheatre has been discovered.  It’s believed it would have held about 2,000 people and its design seems to indicate that it was used by the creme de la creme of Roman society, maybe even Trajan himself.

Portus, in its heyday was regarded as a significant civil engineering works and yet it’s not really until now that its finally getting the promotion it deserves.  The port spans about 2 km by 1 km and has a unique hexagonal harbour basin which itself is the size of a fairly hefty Roman city.  Just beyond Portus is another area which the archaeologists are finding to be quite exciting – Isola Sacra was an artificial island which Emperor Trajan created and on which is one of Italy’s best preserved Imperial Roman cemeteries.

Records show that the ruins of Portus have been studied on and off since the 16th century and the Isola Sacra necropolis was excavated in the 1930s but it’s only now with our modern equipment that the site has been shown in all its glory.

The construction of Portuswas originally put into place by Emperor Claudius in the first century AD but once Trajan took up the reins in the second century he decided to extend the port and arranged for the hexagonal harbour to be constructed along with various huge warehouses a bit further inland.  It was only then that Portus came into its own and became the main ‘through road’ for imports from the vast Roman Empire.  These imports included marble, glass, metalwork and food from Egypt, Africa and the Mediterranean.

Obviously finding it hard to sit there and twiddle his thumbs once he’d set up such a thriving community, Trajan developed a man made island and then built a road from Portus to the island and then a further road out to the adjacent city of Ostia and it was along this route that the necropolis was sited and eventually it became a huge cemetery.

Unfortunately, by the sixth century Portus had really had its day as Rome and the Mediterranean trade declined and so, over the years, the mausolea, paintings, sculptures etc etc fell into disrepair and eventually were buried by sand dunes.

Me thinks that if Trajan was around today, he’d have a helluva time playing Civilization on his PC!!!

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• Aphrodite – the sensual goddess of beauty, love and lust. Lover of Ares and mother of Eros. Symbols: the sceptre, myrtle and dove.
• Apollo – the youthful god of the sun, music, medicine, health, prophecies, poetry, archery, light and truth. Yeah, he’s got a lot going on. Twin brother of Artemis and son of Zeus. Symbols: the bow, lyre and laurel.
• Ares – the bloodthirsty god of war and murder. Brother of Athena and son of Zeus. Symbols: vultures, dogs, boars and spears.
• Artemis – the wild goddess of the hunt, the moon and wild things. A virgin goddess associated with protection of the young. Twin brother of Apollo. Symbols: the bow, dogs and deer.
• Athena – the sophisticated goddess of wisdom, the arts, warfare, strategy and logic. Sister of Ares, daughter of Zeus. Symbols: the aegis, the owl and the olive tree.
• Demeter – the natural goddess of the harvest, fertility and agriculture. Sister of Zeus. Symbols: the sceptre, torch and corn.
• Dionysus – the joyful god of wine, parties and madness.  Fauns, wood nymphs and orgies, my kinda guy. Symbols: grape vine, ivy and thyrsus.
• Hades – the gloomy god of the underworld and wealth. Brother of Poseidon, Zeus and Hera. Symbols: the bident, the helm of darkness and his three headed dog Cerberus.
• Hephaestus – the ill-favoured god of fire and metallurgy. Son of Zeus and Hera. As a baby his mother threw him off mount Olympus because of his physical appearance. This damaged his legs and he is permanently handicapped. He’s married to Aphrodite but because of his deformity, she’s also seeing Ares. Symbols: fire, hammer and pincers.
• Hera – the mature goddess of the family, marriage, children and childbirth. Oddly enough, she is both the wife and older sister of Zeus. Symbols: the cow, peacock, sceptre and diadem.
• Hermes – the cunning god of trade, flight, thieves, mischief and commerce. He is also the messenger of the gods and shows dead souls to the underworld. Symbols: caduceus, winged boots and the lyre.
• Hestia – the calm goddess of hearth and home. She also represents the relationship between colonies and their mother cities. She left Olympus to tend to the sacred flame on Mount Olympus.
• Poseidon – the moody god of the seas. Also known as Storm Bringer and Earth Shaker due to his association with earthquakes. Symbols: horses, sea foam, dolphins and the trident.
• Zeus – the heavenly king of the gods and ruler of mankind. He is also the god of the sky and thunder and is generally seen smiting humans with lightning bolts or transforming into strange animal forms and heading down to earth for a little action. Symbols: thunderbolt, eagle, bull and oak.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: Turkey

One single tomb that can be considered famous and significant is the Tomb of Mausolus. It is called Mausoleum of Mausolus or Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. It was a tomb built between 353 and 350 BC at Halicarnassus (present Bodrum, Turkey) for Mausolus, a satrap (governor) in the Persian Empire, and Artemisia II of Caria, his wife and sister. The structure was designed by the Greek architects Satyrus and Pythius. It stood approximately 45 meters (135 ft) in height, and each of the four sides was adorned with sculptural relief created by each one of four Greek sculptors – Leochares, Bryaxis, Scopas of Paros and Timotheus. The Mausoleum stood relatively intact until 1522 A.D., when it was ordered destroyed as an example of Pagan art.

The finished structure was considered to be such an aesthetic triumph that Antipater of Sidon identified it as one of his 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.

Hadrian’s Tomb: Rome, Italy

Another famous tomb is the Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant’Angelo. It is a towering cylindrical building in Rome, initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian was erected on the right bank of the Tiber, between 135 and 139. Originally the mausoleum was a decorated cylinder, with a garden top and golden quadriga. Hadrian’s ashes were placed here a year after his death in 138, together with those of his wife Sabina, and his first adopted son, Lucius Aelius, who also died in 138. Following this, the remains of succeeding emperors were also placed here, the last recorded deposition being Caracalla in 217.

Lenin’s Tomb: Red Square – Moscow, Russia

A tomb that is significantly famous especially among the Russians is Lenin’s Mausoleum. It is also known as Lenin’s Tomb situated in Red Square in Moscow. This mausoleum is popular because the embalmed body of Lenin has been on public display there since the year he died in 1924 (with rare exceptions in wartime). It is the mausoleum that serves as the current resting place of Vladimir Lenin. Aleksey Schusev’s diminutive but monumental granite structure incorporates some elements from ancient mausoleums, such as the Step Pyramid and the Tomb of Cyrus the Great.

Taj Mahal: Agra, India

Undoubtedly, Taj Mahal is one of the most famous tombs worldwide. It is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, that was built under Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.”

Grant’s Tomb: New York, USA

A tomb with great importance most especially among the Americans is General Grant National Memorial better known as Grant’s Tomb. It is a mausoleum containing the bodies of Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), an American Civil War General and the 18th President of the United States, and his wife, Julia Dent Grant (1826-1902). The tomb complex is a US Presidential Memorial in the Morning Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The structure is situated in a prominent location in Riverside Park overlooking the Hudson River.

Pantheon: Rome, Italy

Another important and with historical significance tomb is the Pantheon which was originally built for the all gods. Literally means “Temple of all the gods” is a building in Rome. It was rebuilt circa 125 AD during Hadrian’s reign. The intended degree of inclusiveness of this dedication is debated. The generic term pantheon is now applied to a monument in which illustrious dead are buried. Pantheon is the best preserved of all Roman buildings, and perhaps the best preserved building of its age in the world. It has been in continuous use throughout its history.

Since the Renaissance the Pantheon has been used as a tomb. Among those buried there are the painter Raphael and Annibale Carracci, the composer Arcangelo Corelli, and the architect Baldassare Peruzzi. Also buried there are two kings of Italy: Vittorio Emmanuelle II and Umberto I, as well as Umberto’s Queen, Margherita.

7Westminster Abbey: London, UK

Looking at this structure, there is no way you will think that it’s a burial place. The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and later British monarchs.

Aristocrats were buried inside chapels and monks and people associated with the Abbey were buried in the Cloisters and other areas. One of these was Geoffrey Chaucer, who was buried here as he had apartments in the Abbey where he was employed as master of the Kings Works. Other poets were buried around Chaucer in what became known as Poet’s Corner. These include John Milton, William Wordsworth, Thomas Gray, John Keats, Percy Bysshe, Robert Burns, William Blake, T.S. Elliot and Gerard Manley Hopkins and many others.

St. Peter’s Basilica: Vatican City

In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, was the first Bishop of Antioch, and later first and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. St. Peter’ is the most famous of Rome’s any churches.

There are over 100 tombs within St. Peter’s Basilica, many located in the Vatican grotto, beneath the Basilica. These include 91 popes, St. Ignatius of Antioch, Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, and the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Exiled Catholic British royalty James Francis Edward Stuart and his two sons, Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart, are buried here, having been granted asylum by Pope Clement XI. Also buried here are Maria Clementina Sobieska, wife of Charles Edward Stuart, and Queen Christina of Sweden, who abdicated her throne in order to convert to Catholicism. The most recent interment was Pope John Paul II, on April 8, 2005.

Tomb of Cyrus the Great: Iran

This ancient tomb excavated in Pasargadae, a city in ancient Persia, is believed to be the tomb of one of the most notable king of Persia – King Cyrus the Great. It is today an archeological site and one of only five of Iran’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. According to the Elamite cuneiform of the Persepolis fortification tablets the name was rendered as Batrakatas and the name in current usage derives from a Greek transliteration of an Old Persian Pathragada toponym of still-uncertain meaning.

Great Pyramid of Giza: Egypt

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only remaining member of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. It is also called Khufu’s Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops. This tomb with great popularity and historical significance is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for 4th Egyptian pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years.

The Tomb of Jesus Christ is not included on the list because it is still a subject of much controversy and scrutiny. Once it is proven that it was indeed the Tomb of Christ, it will surely be considered the tomb with the greatest significance and will surely escalate to the highest and unsurpassable degree of popularity.

One of the basic reasons why some of these magnificent tombs were built is because of people’s belief on life after death. Given the chance to choose before you pass away, where on these burial sites would you like to be buried?

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