While many people are familiar with mausoleums, columbariums are considerably lesser known. According to Nuuanu Memorial Park & Mortuary in Honolulu, HI, these two structures for housing remains are quite different, so they’ve broken down some facts to help you better understand these cemetery services. 

Columbariums vs. Mausoleums

One Houses Cremation Urns, the Other Houses Caskets

The term mausoleum is often used to describe any memorial monument designed to house the remains of multiple people; however, this isn’t entirely accurate. The strict definition of a mausoleum is any memorial structure equipped to house the bodily remains of numerous deceased, meaning caskets as opposed to cremation urns. Traditionally, the memorial structures erected to house urns have been referred to as columbariums. 

Columbariums Have Their Roots in Ancient Rome

Unlike mausoleums, columbariums owe their earliest origins to the Romans. But back then, they weren’t used to house human remains. Coming from the Italian word “columba,” meaning dove, these structures were first used to hold pigeons. It wasn’t until hundreds of years later that they were used for ashes, first by Buddhist monks, who built them into large ornate structures resembling temples. 

Mausoleums Have Persian Roots

The first mausoleum was erected for the Persian King Mausolus and is considered one of the ancient wonders of the world. Although they’ve changed over the years, mausoleums have always been designed to hold the bodies of the dead, whether it be certain groups of people or family members. 

Nuuanu Memorial Park & Mortuary has both mausoleums and columbariums on their grounds, in addition to offering traditional burial services. If you’ve recently lost a loved one and want to celebrate their memory, call them today at (808) 537-5255 to learn more about their funeral services. You can also visit them online for a closer look at what they have to offer.