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A mausoleum may seem like a grim attraction but as veteran globetrotters well know, there’s no place like a cemetery or burial landmark to spice up your trip. Even if you shun the mainstream practice of celebrity worship, lavish plots of the famous and infamous make for honest-to-goodness juicy tourist appeal.Here then, are the most famous mausoleums in the world.

1. Grant’s Tomb, New York City, U.S.A.

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Grant’s Tomb, New York City, U.S.A.

The gravesite of one of the most popular Presidents in the history of the United States overlooks the Hudson River in Manhattan from a perch in Riverside Park. Built in 1897, Ulysses S. Grant’s mausoleum is purported to be the largest in North America.

2. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi, Vietnam

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi, Vietnam

The most iconic leader Vietnam has ever had has a rather iconic mausoleum to honor his memory in Hanoi. A model of Lenin’s tomb in Moscow’s Red Square, the popular landmark has a touch of irony, in that it remains an enduring violation of Ho Chi Minh’s wish to have his ashes scattered throughout his beloved Vietnam.

3. Abraham Lincoln’s Tomb, Springfield, Illinois, U.S.A.

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Abraham Lincoln’s Tomb, Springfield, Illinois, U.S.A.

A U.S. National Historic Landmark, Lincoln’s Tomb in the capital of his home state, is a rather beautiful marble sarcophagus within a prodigious stone chamber, with many wonderful details to explore. The burial site sits on 51,000 m2 of land in idyllic Springfield, Illinois.

4. Suharto Family Complex, Central Java, Indonesia

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Suharto Family Complex, Central Java, Indonesia

Known as Astana Giribangun, the mausoleum complex for the powerful Suharto family, a name familiar to anyone with even cursory knowledge of Indonesia, provides visitors to Central Java with yet another major attraction. In traditional island architecture, the mausoleum is near the Mangkunegaran Royal Cemetery complex.

5. Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City, Philippines

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City, Philippines

A tremendous shrine to the second President of the Philippines, Manuel L. Quezon, within a national park in the city that bears his name, Quezon Memorial Circle took almost four decades to build before completion in 1979.

6. Tomb of Mausolus, Bodrum, Turkey

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Tomb of Mausolus, Bodrum, Turkey

The tomb for the man who gave the world the term “mausoleum” was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Unfortunately, all that remains of the site in Bodrum, Turkey are stone ruins. Nonetheless, the once magnificent burial site for the former Persian Empire governor is still an inspiration to the present day.

7. Frogmore Estate, Berkshire, England

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Frogmore Estate, Berkshire, England

Adjacent to Windsor Castle in the county of Berkshire, just outside of London, Frogmore Estate contains two superb mausoleums. The grand Royal Mausoleum was made to intern Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, while the ornate Duchess of Kent mausoleum is the burial place of Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, mother of Queen Victoria. Both are architectural marvels.

8. Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China

Perhaps the most indelible landmark in China, other than the Great Wall perhaps, the location of the famous Terracotta Army is the underground mausoleum of record in the world. The spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, though well over two millenia old, was incredibly only found in 1974 by several humble farmers.

9. Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy

Home to more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than most nations, the town of Ravenna in Italy is a major tourist destination. A slice of authentic Old Europe, Ravenna has a mausoleum that experts at UNESCO consider to be “artistically perfect”. Though the burial site in the shape of a Latin cross has three sarcophagi, the most famous contains Galla Placidia herself, Empress consort of Constantius III, Western Roman Emperor for a short time in 421 AD.

10. Tomb of Jahangir, Lahore, Pakistan

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Tomb of Jahangir, Lahore, Pakistan

A remarkable burial complex for the popular Mughal Emperor of the early 17th century, the only words to describe this gorgeous Lahore landmark are “dramatic” and “grandiose”. A great reason to visit the notable Pakistani city.

11. Mausoleum of Khomeini, Tehran, Iran

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Mausoleum of Khomeini, Tehran, Iran

Though the former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini, was a rather incendiary figure in the West, his homegrown popularity was evident upon his death in 1989, when construction began on a massive mausoleum complex. The landmark is still not complete, with several additions left to the eventual 20 km2 memorial.

12. Anitkabir, Ankara, Turkey

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Anitkabir, Ankara, Turkey

The stately, serene burial site of Mustafa Kemal Atat?rk, founder and first president of the modern Republic of Turkey, is a rather visible landmark on the Ankara cityscape. The hero of Turkey’s War of Independence was such a transformative figure that his mausoleum consistently draws annual visitors well into the millions.

13. Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, Inner Mongolia, China

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, Inner Mongolia, China

This entry warrants a rather large asterisk. As most people know, the remains of Genghis Khan have never been found, much to the dismay of the proud people of Mongolia. While the search will no doubt endure for decades to come, at least a fabulous mausoleum in the infamous warlord’s honour awaits him in Inner Mongolia.

14. Hamilton Mausoleum, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Hamilton Mausoleum, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland

For years, members of the Dukes of Hamilton’s family have been laid to rest in a spectacular family crypt in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The mausoleum is so big in fact, that you can arrange to tour the interior. The most notable feature? The echo effect in the inner sanctum apparently, which is reported to last longer than in any other man-made structure on the planet.

15. Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi, Pakistan

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi, Pakistan

The most famous and iconic landmark in the massive metropolis of Karachi is an architectural feat of epic proportions. The Mazar-e-Quaid, or National Mausoleum, was built throughout the decade of the 1960s and honours a beloved hero and founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

16. Mogiri, Java, Indonesia

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Mogiri, Java, Indonesia

The sprawl of the royal burial complex known as Imogiri in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia, is a sight to behold. The first graveyard site dates back to the 16th century, with subsequent rulers of central Java, up to the present day, spread out over several sections within the mausoleum complex.

17. Qianling Mausoleum, Qian Country, Shaanxi Province, China

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Qianling Mausoleum, Qian Country, Shaanxi Province, China

More than a one hour’s drive outside of the ancient Silk Road city of X’ian, the Qianling Mausoleum provides the province of Shaanxi with yet another historic burial site. This time for the Tang Dynasty however, which dates the site to the late 7th century. With underground murals and numerous stone statues of exceptional quality, the mausoleum has yet to be fully excavated.

18. Lenin’s Tomb, Red Square, Moscow, Russia

While many chide the rather sober and austere simplicity of the granite mausoleum known as Lenin’s Tomb in Red Square, the structure is more than just a Soviet-era hunk of stone. The famous landmark actually borrows from Egyptian and Persian architecture and since 1924, has drawn millions to view the iconic communist revolutionary’s corpse.

19. Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

While not a mausoleum in the traditional sense, like many on this list, the original intent of the Great Pyramid of Giza, in the estimation of many experts, was to intern royalty. Though the sarcophagi were empty upon discovery, the fact that the pyramid was a burial site is clear.

20. Taj Mahal, Agra, India

The Most Famous Mausoleums in the World - Taj Mahal, Agra, India

From Ancient Wonder to Modern Wonder, the Taj Mahal is simply the most famous mausoleum in the world, without one iota of doubt. The spectacular complex is a world treasure and masterpiece of architecture that has no peer. Exactly what the 17th century Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had in mind when he had the Taj built as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

source: myamazingfact.blogspot.com

This unusual fountain set up in Rome, Italy is the work of Spanish artist Juan Galdeano who wanted to make a statement that would hopefully draw attention to the issue of global warming. The fountain was built to look like it’s sustaining a hatchback Seat Ibiza, when in reality the car is being supported by an intricate installation. Let’s face it, that would have to be quite a powerful jet of water to sustain the car. The fountain is available to the public from June 5 to August 10.

The Car Fountain

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The following pics shows the difference of “Unspoken Communication” that takes place when girls and boys say “Hi”.

Female HI

Female Hi

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Wat Pa Maha Kaew Temple is the only temple in the world build out of glass bottles and bottle caps. It all began in 1984 when the Buddhist monks started gathering bottles to decorate their shelters. The lovely bottle art-work they created attracted more and more visitors that began donating bottles, until there were enough to build an entire building.

Bottle Temple in Thailand

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1. Yao Defen

Yao Defen claims to be the tallest woman in the world, with 7′ 8″ (233 cm). She weighs 200 kg (440 lbs) and has size 26 (UK) / 78 (EU) feet. Her gigantism is due to a tumor in her pituitary gland.

World's Top 10 Tallest Ladies - Yao Defen

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The world’s only pink Bottlenose dolphin which was discovered in an inland lake in Louisiana, USA, has become such an attraction that conservationists have warned tourists to leave it alone. Charter boat captain Erik Rue, 42, photographed the animal, which is actually an albino, when he began studying it after the mammal first surfaced in Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary, north of the Gulf of Mexico in southwestern USA.

Pink Dolphin

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It might not be exactly up-to standards design-wise, but the Peel P50 is the perfect car on a crowded street. Only 50 cars were prodused and sold between 1963 and 1964, but only 20 are still around today. The original price was 200 pounds, but today you can’t buy one of these micro-cars with less than 35,000 to 50,000 pounds. The three-wheeled car has only one door on the left side, one windscreen wiper and one headlight. At 134 cm in length and 99 cm in width, the Peel P50 mini-car was designed to accomodate one adult and a shopping bag. You might not be able to ride in a micro-machine like the P50, but you will be able to observe one up close, at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, in London.

World's Smallest Car

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Swallow’s Nest is an ornamental castle built in Yalta, Crimea peninsula, Ukraine, built between 1911-1912 by Russian architect Leonid Sherwood. It lies on the 130foot-high Aurora Cliff, overlooking the Black Sea. Over time it has been a restaurant, a reading club headquarters and, lately, a very popular tourist attraction. In 1927 it survived a strong earthquake (between 6 and 7 on the Richter scale) with only a few decorative elements falling in the sea, but the cliff itself developed a huge crack, so access to the Swallow’s Nest was restricted for almost 40 years. In 1968 the castle was renovated and a monolithic concrete plate console was used to strengthen the cliff.

Swallow’s Nest Castle

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1. Catacombs of Paris

Officially called les carrières de Paris or “the quarries of Paris,” the Catacombs of Paris is a network of underground tunnels and rooms that used to be Roman-era limestone quarries.

In the late 1700s, Paris was suffering from diseases caused by improper burials and mass graves in church cemeteries. Local authorities decided that they would remove thousands of bones and place them stacked in the abandoned underground quarries.

Most Fascinating Tombs in the World - Catacombs of Paris

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World's Highest File Drawer

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