Historically, the word mausoleum comes from the large temple-like structure which was erected by Queen Artemisia as the final resting place for her late husband, King Mausolus ‐ from which the word mausoleum is derived ‐ ruled over Caria in Asia Minor and died in 353 B.C. His mausoleum is now regarded as the fifth of the Seven Wonders of the World. A sharp earthquake in 1402 resulted in the large chariot on top of the mausoleum, in which statues of the king and queen were placed, crashing to the ground. The rest of the structure was demolished later that same year by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem who then used the stones to construct the fortress of St. Peter.
A community mausoleum is simply a large building designed to provide above-ground interment or entombment for a number of unrelated people. Sharing the cost of the mausoleum with other individuals has made it more affordable.
