Throughout history, there have been great personalities whose names seem to be known to everyone, regardless of what they know about these people. These are famous figures that almost go beyond the physical essence and turn into legends. Some of these legendary characters managed to create a great mystery by disappearing without a trace at the end of their lives.
Cleopatra and Mark Antony
Returning back centuries, let us remember the great Egyptian queen Cleopatra, the last acting ruler of the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt, and her beloved Roman military leader Mark Antony. When Antony and Cleopatra were defeated in a major naval battle against Octavian's forces during the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, the ancient Roman general took his own life. In order not to fall into the hands of the hated Octavian, Cleopatra also committed suicide in a fit of disobedience.
Although Cleopatra is one of the most recognizable, iconic and famous rulers in history, mysteries have raged around her figure for a long time, right up to the present day. It is still not clear what exactly Cleopatra did to herself and where she was buried. It is believed that she was buried with Mark Antony.
It has been suggested that Cleopatra may have prepared a tomb for herself, perhaps not far from Alexandria, but where exactly one can only guess. There have been many excavations trying to find Cleopatra's burial, and in 2009 archaeologists investigated a promising burial site at the Temple of Taposiris Magna, Egypt.
Here were found mummies, busts depicting her face, a mask believed to belong to Mark Antony, and coins with their likeness, indicating that Cleopatra and Antony were together, but the excavations were ultimately unsuccessful. In later years, it was suggested that her final resting place might actually lie on the seabed. As a result, the lost tomb of Cleopatra is one of the holy grails of archeology.
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Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon, who ruled from 356 to 323 BC. e., is known for a series of stunning conquests: from Greece to India, as well as Asia and northeast Africa. His unrelenting, irresistible path to victory ended in Babylon in 323 BC. His body was then supposedly placed in a splendid sarcophagus made of pure gold and filled with honey, which was then displayed in a tomb in Alexandria.
The tomb was finally closed after it was looted. Alexander's breastplate was also missing. In the 4th century, Christianity came to the region and paganism was outlawed. After that, the burial place and sarcophagus of Alexander the Great seemed to disappear from the face of the earth.
Until now, no one knows where the remains of Alexander the Great are. Despite countless expeditions, this remains one of the great mysteries of history.
Genghis Khan
Speaking about the military leaders who build empires, one cannot fail to mention the founder and first ruler of the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan. During his reign and ruthless expansion, he conquered regions stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Pacific Ocean and encompassing the territories of Eurasia, Central Asia and China.
Genghis Khan is one of the most notorious, vicious tyrants in history, holding people in an iron predatory grip. He passed away on August 18, 1227 during the hostilities in China, and his final resting place remains a mystery.
It is known that Genghis Khan promised his people to be buried in an unmarked grave, the location of which must be kept secret. It is said that the place where he was buried was deliberately trampled by a thousand horsemen to disguise the location of the tomb, after which each of the horsemen was destroyed.
There is a mausoleum of Genghis Khan located in the city of Ejen Khoro, Inner Mongolia, but this is not his real resting place, and archaeologists are searching the world using all kinds of advanced technologies, but the tomb of Genghis Khan is still lost to history.
Leonardo da Vinci
The rulers are not only well-known for their elusive final resting places. Some of the more famous lost graves belong to famous artists. Perhaps one of the most mysterious places of the final resting place is the tomb of the great artist, inventor, polymath and master of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci.
In 1519, at the age of 67, da Vinci passed away, and was allegedly buried under a church, which was later destroyed during the French Revolution in 1789. Workers rebuilding the site say they found some human remains and part of a ruined headstone believed to have belonged to Da Vinci.
Although officially his last resting place is the French castle of Amboise, it is still unknown whether the tombstone of the great genius has survived there and whether these are actually his remains. Even the inscription on the grave says that these are the "alleged remains" of Da Vinci.
Mozart
There is also the burial story of one of the great composers of history, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who passed away in 1791 at the age of 35 from an unknown illness. Given how incredibly famous Mozart has become over the centuries, one might think that his resting place should be known, but it seems that it is not.
One problem is that during his lifetime he was not as famous as after he left, and therefore his burial was not such a significant event. In fact, the man who was later regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time was rather unceremoniously placed in a cheap wooden box and buried in a cemetery in an unmarked common grave.
Ideas for the whereabouts of Mozart's remains range from complete disappearance to fans taking them to safety. However, no one knows for sure.
We have reviewed just a few of the lost burials and tombs of some of the most important people in history. Where did they go? How could such outstanding personalities simply disappear after finishing their life path? Some of these lost tombs have become some of the most sought after treasures in archeology, yet they remain hidden, keeping their secrets.
One day we may find the answers we are looking for, but so far the resting places of these impressive historical figures remain a mystery.