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A mausoleum (plural: mausolea) is a large and impressive tomb, usually constructed for a deceased leader. Mausoleum can also refer to a building which contains a number of crypts for entombment of deceased individuals. Mausoleums can be freestanding buildings, or can be part of a larger facility - such as a church.
The word came from the Mausoleum of Maussollos, the grave of King Mausolus, the Persian satrap of Caria, whose large tomb was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
In New York City, Grant's Tomb is a reduced-scale version of Mausollos' monument. Other mausoleums include Abraham Lincoln's tomb in Springfield, Illinois.