I’ve been thinking about the things I’ve seen in various places I’ve traveled and for some reason, it occurred to me that I’ve seen how various cultures recognize the dead with cemeteries. Thought of it sometime ago but figured that was a good way to get the mind going around Halloween and All Saints Day. Let me share the photos from several countries and the memories attached to it.
Most recently, I was in the Alps and came across this incredible church cemetery. I was in awe of the iron work, the artistry. But the combination of that artistry against the artistry of nature was incredible. And you couldn’t help but notice differences in how simple or ornate the crosses were. While they were all different, they worked together and with the scenery in a way I kept studying…. yes, I took BUNCHES of photos.
During the same trip, I was in Italy and I had the chance to spend time in a number of duomos in several cities. It was Vatican City that captured me more with the way they dealt with death… Popes were entombed downstairs…. and to mark the location in St. Peter’s with an ornate grill on the floor. Here’s a really short video snipet.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbWt9Rjnf9M&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6]
Seriously, while I feel odd that this thought crossed my mind, I hardly could help it. They were beautiful as you can see but for some reason I couldn’t get the utility of a storm drain out of my head. You can see people moving around downstairs!
Okay, I have to admit, that while walking around St. Peter’s that I would just happen into a pope on display! Yes, I had the chance to see Lenin in Russia decades ago. Somehow, because everyone mentioned it, I wasn’t surprised. However, walking around the Vatican City… I was caught off-guard. Enough off-guard that I had to snap a photo!
The Christian cemeteries in various places have seemed fairly familiar though. But I’ve also have the chance to travel in countries where Christianity is not the religion of the majority. The first place I traveled was Turkey. And I must admit, I didn’t see places where your every day citizens were buried BUT I did see some of the ones where the members of the sultanate and others were laid to rest. The headstones at the Sulemaniye Mosque in Istanbul were so interesting… the traditional headwear, the fez, even played a part!
I also was able to go in a couple of places where they had tombs of various sultans on display. They were fairly simple but also kept in environments that were marked with respect. 
Not scary… just acknowledgement. I’ll have to post some of the other places I’ve been too.
