Har HaMenuchot | |
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הר המנוחות | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 750 m (2,460 ft) |
Coordinates | 31°47′53.28″N 35°10′39.82″E / 31.7981333°N 35.1777278°ECoordinates: 31°47′53.28″N 35°10′39.82″E / 31.7981333°N 35.1777278°E |
Geography | |
Location | Jerusalem |
Parent range | Judean |
Details | |
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Established | 1951 |
Location | Jerusalem |
Country | Israel |
Size | 580 dunams (0.58 km2; 0.22 sq mi) |
No. of graves | over 150,000 |
Find a Grave | Har HaMenuchot |
Har HaMenuchot (Hebrew: הר המנוחות, Ashkenazi pronunciation, Har HaMenuchos, lit. "Mount of Those who are Resting", also known as Givat Shaul Cemetery) is the largest cemetery in Jerusalem, Israel. The hilltop burial ground lies at the western edge of the city adjacent to the neighborhood of Givat Shaul, with commanding views of Mevaseret Zion to the north, Motza to the west, and Har Nof to the south. Opened in 1951 on 300 dunams (0.30 km2; 0.12 sq mi) of land, it has continually expanded into new sections on the northern and western slopes of the hill. As of 2008, the cemetery encompasses 580 dunams (0.58 km2; 0.22 sq mi) in which over 150,000 people are buried.
Until 1948, Jewish burials in Jerusalem were conducted in the centuries-old Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives. In 1948, the Arab siege of Jerusalem cut off access to the Mount of Olives, and this remained the status quo after the 1949 Armistice Agreements. In 1948 several temporary cemeteries opened to handle wartime deaths in Jerusalem, including the Sanhedria cemetery, Sheikh Badr Cemetery, and the Shaare Zedek Cemetery (on the grounds of the old Shaare Zedek Hospital on Jaffa Road). After the establishment of the state, however, these were deemed inadequate for the needs of a growing city.