Hezbollah Martyrs' Cemetery

It's the most beautiful, well planned and serene graveyard in the world.

Shown in the following images is the roofed main hall of Hezbollah Martyrs' Cemetery in Beirut known as روضة الشهيدين (Roz-e-Shaheedin or Place of Martyrs). Many Hezbollah fighters martyred in the 2006 war with Israel and many more who sacrificed their lives fighting AlQaeda in Syria are buried here. Hezbollah leader's 18-year-old son, Hadi Nasrallah, martyred in a battle with Israel in 1997 is also laid to rest in the roofed hall of the Place of Martyrs. It's a huge cemetery which extends beyond the covered hall.

Philipp Breu, a European freelance photojournalist focused on Middle-East events, visited the Cemetery in Beirut. He writes: "On weekends and Islamic holidays, the families usually return to the final resting place of their sons/brothers/husbands etc. and pay their respects. One of many reasons, why I’m so interested in Shia Islam is the fact that Shia Muslims take great care of their martyred family members. Both families and the party are very proud of their martyrs. If you visit, kindly ask if you are allowed to take photos. Usually no one denies you that request, but you should always ask before taking any photos at this place."

This nicely planned and maintained cemetery with breathtaking Quranic Verses and personal inscriptions on the headstones of martyrs is recognized as one of Beirut's most remarkable landmarks which tourists must not forget to see.

Except for the two getty images above, the rest are taken from the website of Philipp Breu.

The following two images show the extension of the Martyrs' Cemetery outside the roofed hall taken from Mary Ann's blog "Beirut Pursuit."

What is Hezbollah, for those who don't yet know:

Hezbollah is not just a ragtag entity confined within south Lebanon. That would be a huge misconception. It's presently Lebanon's strongest military group and many consider it to be the most influential coalition in the government. Militarily, Hezbollah is more tactical than the country's national army. If not for the arm-twisting policies of Saudi Arabia, the Lebanese government is - in point of fact - very comfortable with Hezbollah. It is well aware that without Hezbollah, Lebanon's defenses would be greatly compromised. Hezbollah's unstoppable rise to power is driving Saudi Arabia insane with worries, pressuring Lebanon to lessen its regional role. Although Saad Hariri's government is a loyal subordinate of the House of Saud, the power and popularity of Hezbollah is too well entrenched - both militarily and politically - to be subverted or weakened by the government . It would neither be prudent nor possible to forcibly disarm them. At the behest of the Sauds, Hariri's goal has shifted to implement a neutral policy for Lebanon over the Saudi-Iranian cold war. That won't be possible either. Hezbollah has numerous commitments and a very extensive role to handle, both within and outside Lebanon. It has its army in Syria and Iraq, and its advisers in Yemen. On a similar note, Hezbollah's alliance with Iran and Syria known as the 'Axis of Resistance' is not some covert, backstairs deal. It's an official and transparent partnership which should have existed between all members of the pan-Islamic world but unfortunately only a few adhere to it.

Image source Daily Star