“Valley of Peace” - the largest cemetery in the world (14 photos)

According to legend, this land was once bought by Abraham, who is the authority of three world religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam.





In Arabic, the cemetery is called Wadi al-Salam, which translates as “Valley of Peace.” It is Shiite.

I am often asked what is the difference between the two main denominations of Islam - Sunnis and Shiites. In some ways, this is similar to the split between Orthodoxy and Catholicism - outwardly very similar, but if there are several issues that split them in two.

So it is here. In short, the main difference is who should have the ultimate power. Sunnis (the largest group) believe that it can be anyone, the main thing is that it is an intelligent, respected person. Shiites believe that this must be a descendant of the line of the Prophet Muhammad and his cousin Ali.

From the outside it looks like a huge city. Located in the territory of modern Iraq.



Imam Ali, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, is buried here. For Shiites - a huge authority, perhaps more than Muhammad himself. And they dream of being with him on the Day of Judgment.





People have been buried here for 1400 years, that is, since the advent of Islam.



I am not a religious person, but such a tribute to tradition inspires respect, perhaps, for any person.

From 100 to 250 people are buried here per day. They are brought from afar just to end up in the Valley of Peace. For comparison, throughout Moscow, where there are more than 100 cemeteries, an average of 30 people are buried per day.

At the same time, the cemetery is very compact. Over 5 million people are buried here, but the territory itself barely exceeds 6 square meters. km. There are many bizarre structures here - large mausoleums or underground



During the Iraq War, the cemetery was badly damaged - local mortar fighters often hid here.



An American helicopter attacks an enemy mortar position, 2004

Why are cypresses and thujas considered “funeral” trees?

You've probably noticed that in many cemeteries (especially in movies when they show Europe and the USA), cypress trees grow in the cemeteries.







In Europe, this tree is sometimes called the "church cypress", as it is often planted around a cemetery with a church. Like a fence or "sentinels".



Evergreen trees were associated with eternal life. Such traditions go back to Ancient Greece, to the philosopher Plato. The second reason is that this shape of a sharp “pyramid” is associated with movement towards the sky, where in the vast majority of religions God is located. For the same reason, the Sumerians built their ziggurats, and the Egyptians built their famous pyramids.



In the middle zone in our area you can often find thuja. In more severe climatic zones, spruce trees performed this function.



Why are graves a favorite place for archaeologists?

And, finally, why scientists love graves so much. Sometimes they even specifically begin to search for exactly this at a new excavation site. Not only because things that can be studied were often placed in the graves along with the deceased.





The main role of graves for scientists is that they help determine what kind of culture was widespread in a particular territory. Moreover, many cultures are described precisely through funeral traditions. Because each culture had its own tradition of burying the dead. Often this was associated with certain beliefs.