Necropolis facts for kids

The gatepost at the entrance to the Western Necropolis in Glasgow

A necropolis (plural necropoleis) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek literally meaning "city of the dead".

The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distance from a city, as opposed to tombs within cities, which were common in various places and periods of history. They are different from grave fields, which did not have remains above the ground. While the word is most commonly used for ancient sites, the name was revived in the early 19th century and applied to planned city cemeteries, such as the Glasgow Necropolis.

One of the most famous is in Thebes, Egypt.

Images for kids

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  Mastabas in the Giza Necropolis with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background.

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  Naqsh-e Rustam. The order of the tombs in Naqshe-e Rustam, from left to right is: Darius II, Artaxerxes I, Darius I, Xerxes I.

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  Tumuli are placed along a street in the Banditaccia necropolis of Cerveteri.