The 12,000-plus gravestones in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic / Czechia, hide 100,000 earlier burials in up to 12 underground layers. The cemetery, used for nearly 350 years, proved too small and as layers of bodies mounted, ancient tombstones were raised to the new surface. The earliest only bear Hebrew inscriptions, but later examples feature symbols hinting at name, character or profession. As well as animals such as lions, bears and wolves, there are harps or violins for musicians, lancets for physicians and scissors for tailors.
Prague, Czechia / Czech Republic: the dense forest of 12,000-plus gravestones filling the Old Jewish Cemetery in the Czech capital’s Jewish Quarter or Josefov may hide 100,000 earlier burials in up to 12 underground layers. Europe’s second oldest Jewish graveyard was used for nearly 350 years until 1787 and despite being enlarged, was still too small. As layers of bodies mounted, some ancient tombstones were raised to the new surface, so many visible today actually commemorate people buried several levels down. The cemetery surface now lies well above surrounding streets and the soil and graves are held in place by retaining walls. The Old Jewish Cemetery is among the world’s oldest surviving Jewish burial grounds. Its foundation date is not known, but it replaced a so-called “Jewish Garden” closed in 1478. The earliest gravestone is that of rabbi and liturgical poet Avigdor Kara (died 1439). The oldest gravestones are plain apart from Hebrew inscriptions, but later examples feature architectural details such as pilasters and false portals. From the 16th century the dead were characterised by symbols relating to their name, character or profession, such as pairs of blessing hands, wine grapes or animals such as lions, bears, deer and wolves. A harp or violin indicated a musician, a lancet a physician and a pair of scissors a tailor. Important Jewish figures buried here include scholar, teacher and writer Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezulel (died 1609), Mordecai Maisel (1601), developer of the Prague Jewish Town and David Gans (1613), Renaissance scholar, historian, mathematician and astronomer. Rabbi Judah Loew’s grave draws pilgrims from all over the world, as he is accredited with creating the legendary Golem, a giant clay figure able to defend the Jewish ghetto from antisemitic attacks once it was endowed with life.
Size: 3366px × 2186px
Location: Old Jewish Cemetery, Jewish Quarter or Josefov, Prague, Czechia / Czech Republic.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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