This article lists the burial places of founders of world religions.
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Located in Bahji near Acre, Israel, the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh is the most holy place for Bahá'ís and their Qiblih, or direction of prayer. It contains the remains of Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith and is near the spot where he died in the Mansion of Bahji.
The Shrine of the Báb, the burial location of the Báb, who Bahá'ís see as the immediate forerunner of their religion, is located on Mount Carmel, in Haifa, Israel.
The Buddha's body was cremated and the relics were placed in monuments or stupas, some of which are believed to have survived until the present. For example, the Temple of the Tooth or "Dalada Maligawa" in Sri Lanka is the place where the right tooth relic of Buddha is kept at present.
Bodhidharma (early 6th cent. CE) is generally regarded as the founder of Zen Buddhism. According to a 7th century account by Dàoxuān, Bodhidharma died at Luo River Beach, where he was interred by his disciple Huike, possibly in a cave. Soon after his death, someone supposedly witnessed Bodhidharma walking back towards India barefoot and with a single shoe in hand. His grave was later exhumed, and according to legend, the only thing found in it was the shoe he left behind. Because of uncertainty about the precise physical location as well as ambiguity about what might be left of Bodhidharma at his burial site, no burial site has been venerated in the Zen tradition.
According to early Christian sources the Church of the Holy Sepulchre occupies the possible location where Jesus is said to have been entombed for three days, between his Crucifixion and Resurrection. It is located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.
A second site, known as the Garden Tomb, located just outside Jerusalem's Old City has become a popular Protestant alternative to the Catholic and Orthodox dominated Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The grave of Confucius is in his home town of Qufu, Shandong Province, China. The grave of Confucius is located in a large cemetery where more than 100,000 of his descendants are also buried.
The Islamic prophet Muhammad is buried in the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet) in the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia.
Muhammad's grave lies within the confines of what used to be his wife Aisha's and his house. During his lifetime it was adjoining the mosque. The mosque was expanded during the reign of Caliph al-Walid I to include his tomb.[1] The prophet's grave is an important reason for the particularly high sanctity of the mosque. Millions of visitors come to visit it every year because it is tradition to visit mosque when going on the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Muhammad is buried next to the first two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar. Umar was gifted a spot next to Muhammad by his wife Ayesha, which had originally been intended for her. There is an empty grave within the tomb area meant for Jesus upon his return as the Messiah.
Muhammad's grave itself cannot be seen as the area is cordoned off by a gold mesh and black curtains. As per Wahhabi tradition, the grave itself is not embellished or decorated and is two cubits high. The grave is marked by an austere green wooden dome above it, built by the Ottoman Turks. This dome has become universally emblematic of both the Muhammad himself, as well as his beloved city of Medina.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and claimant to fulfilling eschatological prophecies in the Islamic tradition fulfilling the coming of the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, is buried at his birthplace of Qadian, India.
The Cave of the Patriarchs is a religious compound located in the ancient city of Hebron (which lies in the southwest part of the West Bank, in the heart of ancient Judea), and is generally considered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims to be its spiritual center. Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition holds that the compound encloses the burial place of four Biblical couples: Adam and Eve; Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebekah; Jacob and Leah. According to Midrashic sources, it also contains the head of Esau brother of Jacob.
Rachel, Jacob's other wife, is buried in Rachel's Tomb, located in Bethlehem.
The location of the burial place of Joseph is variously given as being in Shechem (within today's Nablus) or next to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
The exact location of the grave of Moses is unknown, but according to Deuteronomy 34:6 it is on or near Mount Nebo just east of the river Jordan, now in the kingdom of Jordan.
Gurdwara Kartarpur ( meaning: The Abode of God), was established by Guru Nanak , the founder of Sikhism in 1522. When Guru Nanak died in 1539, Hindus and Muslims disagreed on how to perform his last rites. A samadhi (according to Hindu tradition) lies in the Gurudwara and a grave (according to Muslim traditions) lies on the premises as a reminder of this discord.[2] The gurudwara is located in a small village named Kartarpur on the West bank of the Ravi River in Punjab, Pakistan.
When it became clear that the death of Guru Nanak Dev was near, a dispute arose among his followers. His Hindu followers wanted to cremate the remains while his Muslim followers wanted to bury the body following Islamic tradition. Nanak brokered a compromise by suggesting that each group should place a garland of flowers beside his body, and those whose garland remained unwilted after three days could dispose of his body according to their tradition. However, the next morning, upon raising the cloth under which the Guru’s body lay, only the flowers shared between his followers were found. The Hindus cremated their flowers whereas the Muslims buried theirs.The Guru had departed to heaven.[3]
The Gurudwara at Kartarpur can be seen from another Gurudwara located across the border at the historical town of Dera Baba Nanak in India, another important preaching centre of the Guru. Both sites are one of the most significant places in Sikhism located along Indo-Pak border. Recently, there has been lobbying to open a corridor for Sikhs from India to visit the shrine without any hindrance or visa. It lies only 2 km from the international border.
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