Mausoleum is a funeral term describing a structure built to store deceased bodies that are individually sealed before being placed in a crypt
Crypts are arranged in rows and columns, similar to the configuration of a locker room. However, unlike a set of lockers, a crypt does not have a door visitors can open.
Both mausolea and cemeteries house entire coffins/caskets, whereas a columbaria only house urns; therefore, mausolea take up much more space.
The critical difference between a mausoleum and a cemetery is that a mausoleum stores coffins/caskets in crypts above ground, using plaques as identity markers. In contrast, a cemetery buries coffins/caskets in graves below ground, using headstones as identity markers.
The most famous mausoleum is arguably the Taj Mahal in India.
