CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND AXIOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF CEMETERY SPACE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SELECTED WORLD NECROPOLISES

Cemeteries, as one of the most symbolic and enduring elements of the cultural landscape, reflect the relationships between society, the cultural environment, and value systems. A comparative analysis of cemeteries from different regions of Europe was carried out, taking into account: burial sites and their surroundings; architectural forms, including traditional graves, mausoleums, chapels, and elements of sepulchral sculpture; cultural, religious, and customary conditions determining the use of funeral spaces. Particular attention was paid to the different perceptions of cemeteries in Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious traditions and in secular practices. The aim of the publication is to identify common features and differences in cemetery planning, emphasizing their importance as cultural, social, landscape, and axiological spaces.