Glasnevin Cemetery, Ireland. Author: William Murphy.
Cemetery Tourism: Exploring the Sacred Landscape of Graves
Editors: Darius Liutikas, Razaq Raj, Kevin Griffin and Polyxeni Moira
The book Cemetery Tourism: Exploring the Sacred Landscape of Graves offers a compelling collection of articles on cemetery tourism, presenting diverse case studies. It focuses on the motivations behind cemetery visits, the spatial manifestations of various rituals, beliefs, and practices observed at cemeteries and during funerals. This book provides a synthesis of theories, concepts, and practical examples, portraying cemeteries as significant cultural landscapes globally.
Cemetery tourism is an emerging trend linked to religious tourism, dark tourism, cultural tourism, and recreational tourism. An analysis of cemeteries reveals that they embody both sacred and profane elements. Religious traditions often regard cemeteries as sacred or highly esteemed sites. Historical practices, such as burying the dead in churchyards, rituals for consecrating cemeteries, ceremonies honoring the deceased, and personal prayers and meditation, all affirm the cemetery’s sacred status. Societies view cemeteries as places where the dead are interred, and this function serves the public interest.
The book also explores how religions shape burial practices and influence cemetery architecture. Its aim is to delve into the interplay between religion, sociology, and geography, examining how cemeteries and funeral practices are both shaped by and shape the physical and cultural environment. By analyzing case studies from around the world, the book highlights the complex relationship between cemetery tourism and other forms of tourism, emphasizing how these dynamics affect burial landscapes. This book serves as a valuable resource for scholars, students, and the general public seeking a deeper understanding of the intersections between geography, religious practices, cultural studies, sociology, and anthropology.
This book is planned to be published by CABI at the end of 2025 or beginning 2026.
Main topics for the chapters:
- Intersection of Tourism and Pilgrimage in Cemetery Visits
- Conceptualizing Cemetery Tourism
- Cemetery Architecture Through Time (historical evolution and cultural significance)
- Creation of Tomb Architecture (architecture, design, and symbolism)
- Utilization of Cemeteries (rituals, practices, and community engagement)
- Funeral Traditions and Rituals (modern influences and contemporary adaptations)
- Motivations for Cemetery Visits, including Socio-Cultural, Religious, and Personal Values
- Historical Evolution of Cemetery Tourism, including Pilgrimages to Venerate Relics in the Middle Ages
- Physical Spaces of Religious Significance (pilgrimage sites, holy mountains, and sacred groves)
- Cemetery as a Socio-Cultural Space
- The Cemetery’s Role in Integrating the Past with the Present and Connecting Different Generations
- Marketing Strategies and Infrastructure Development Driving Cemetery Tourism
- Spatial Distribution of Cemeteries and Their Architectural and Landscape Features
- Comparative Studies on Cemetery Landscapes in Different Cultural and Historical Contexts
- Architectural and Material Diversity in Cemetery Monuments
- Ethnographic and Anthropological Approaches to Understanding Cemetery Visitation as a Socio-Cultural Phenomenon
- Cemetery Tourism and Cultural Identity
- Valuistic Journeys to Cemeteries
- Religious Beliefs and Practices Related to Death
- Halloween feast and Cemetery visits
- The management of cemeteries to attract cultural tourists and mitigate over-tourism
- Cemeteries as Contributions to the Formation of Cultural Landscapes, Impacting the Spatial Distribution of Communities, Traditions, and Cultural Identities
- Cemeteries as Sacred and Profane Spaces (distinctions between sacred and secular notions of the cemeteries within the built environment and how these distinctions influence human behaviour and social interactions)
- Cemeteries and the Environment (influence on environmental stewardship and conservation practices)
Chapter Guidelines:
Chapters should contain original content, approximately 6,500 words in length, and include up to 3 figures and up to 3 tables. If you are interested in contributing, please email a short abstract of 200 words (including 3 references and at least one of your own) to piligrimu.bendrija@gmail.com.
The abstract should contain the following information:
- Name(s), affiliation(s), and email contact(s) of author(s), clearly indicating the corresponding author.
- Proposed title.
- A 200-word text.
- 3 references (including at least one of your own).
- 5 keywords.
Timeline:
Deadline for submission of abstract: 1 December 2024
Decision on acceptance: 10 December 2024
Deadline for full chapter: 1 August 2025
Tentative book publication date: December 2025- January 2026
The book “Cemetery Tourism: Exploring the Sacred Landscape of Graves” presents the role of cemeteries in a global world. The book delves into the latest research within the domain, with a particular emphasis on the motivation of cemetery tourism. There is a notable lack of research on the motivations and frequency of cemetery visits across different countries. Both quantitative and qualitative studies in this area are scarce, though ethnographic and anthropological approaches could offer valuable insights. This book analyzes cemetery visitation through multiple disciplinary perspectives, considering cemeteries as socio-cultural spaces. Visits to cemeteries are shaped by a variety of personal and collective, ideological, and spiritual factors.
Editors
Darius Liutikas
Razaq Raj
Kevin Griffin
Polyxeni Moira
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