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Planning for your remains after death is one of the stranger experiences you need to deal with. It can feel easy and lighthearted for a period and then be randomly hyper-uncomfortable before the unpleasantness of imagining your own corpse fades into confusion about pricing structures.

The following aims to explore one post-death option in detail: the mausoleum burial.

What Is Mausoleum Burial?

A mausoleum burial is an alternative to a ground burial that presents grieving family members with several benefits, as it provides a lovely place for them to visit and recall their loved ones. It’s also a common choice for people who have lived a distinctive life. Mausoleum burial involves placing a body in an enclosed space or burial chamber within a freestanding construction or monument.

The History Of Mausoleum Burial

Evidence for Mausoleum burials dates back to the ancient era, and some of the world’s most beloved monuments actually fall into the category of a mausoleum. The Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, the Castel Sant’Angelo, and The Panthéon in France are all examples of famed mausoleums. There are mausoleums built in nearly every architectural style known to humans.

Funerary Processes Are Similar To Ground Burials

When you think of the word funeral, you probably think about the process whereby family and friends follow a casket as it’s transported to a cemetery, where the casket is then buried. While funeral processes vary dramatically based on last wishes and requests, the standard funeral process for a mausoleum burial is quite similar to the standard one for ground burial. Loved ones follow the casket to the site of the mausoleum, where the casket is carried into the building and placed within a crypt, after which point the crypt is sealed. Depending on the mausoleum design, a crane can be used to temporarily remove the roof or a wall in order to get the casket inside. Other funerary elements can be included based on the desires of those involved.

Open Or Closed

Once the casket has been interned within the mausoleum, the building itself might be accessible or closed, depending on the design of the building and the wishes of those related to the person. It is not uncommon for private mausoleums to have keys given to only some people. It’s also not uncommon for mausoleums to have a comfortable space for visitors to sit down and reflect or mourn. Typically, family members and friends visit mausoleums just like they visit in-ground burial sites.

Family Mausoleums

Some mausoleums are constructed in such a way as to hold multiple caskets. This is often the result of a family desiring to have their caskets kept close together. Buildings can be designed to hold a couple or an entire family, including their future descendants. Larger mausoleums can get expensive. This is a particularly good solution for families who wish to keep their remains together but have differing views about what should be done with their remains. If some people want to be cremated, their contained ashes can be placed inside a niche within the mausoleum. There are also hybrid options like garden mausoleums, which may have space for those who prefer burial to be buried.

Location

Private mausoleums can be built on private land or on public cemetery land that has been purchased. If a person builds their mausoleum on private land, special arrangements need to be made to handle the upkeep of the grounds and structure. While most mausoleums are designed to need very little upkeep—sturdy materials that do not decay quickly (or at all) like stone or marble—they still tend to look their best when visited and cared for. Some public cemeteries also contain public mausoleums. This is more common in areas that have a high water table, like in New Orleans. Some structures hold as many as a thousand bodies; the less expensive crypts tend to be higher up within the structure.

The above information should have explained to you the elements involved in a mausoleum burial. Typically, mausoleum burials are more expensive than cremation or ground burials, but this is not always the case; price varies dramatically based on individual choices. It’s important to let your instincts guide you when it comes to your burial or the burial of a loved one. What is right for one person isn’t necessarily right for another; it’s okay to take your time and really feel out all the available options before making your decision. If cost is a concern, you might want to speak to a financial advisor about changes you could make to your portfolio to account for your burial preferences.