Cenotaphs

A cenotaph is a monument erected to honor individuals or groups whose remains lie elsewhere, are missing, or have never been recovered. The term comes from the Greek kenotaphion, literally "empty tomb." Cenotaphs are not tombs in which someone is buried; rather, they symbolize a tomb or memorial space for those who cannot be laid to rest in a known location.

They are commonly used to commemorate war dead and other civilians or soldiers, especially where many bodies were never recovered on battlefields. Cenotaphs may be dedicated to unnamed or unknown soldiers, or to a nation's fallen heroes as a collective tribute. They often function as focal points for national remembrance ceremonies and public rites of mourning.

The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and unveiled in 1919, is one of the most recognizable cenotaphs. It became the central site for national Remembrance Day ceremonies in the United Kingdom. Similar monuments exist around the world, particularly in Commonwealth countries, where cenotaphs form part of public war memorials in towns and capitals.

Architecturally, cenotaphs take many forms, from classical obelisks and sarcophagi to sculpted groups; they typically employ austere, symbolic representations of an empty tomb rather than an actual burial. The emphasis is on collective memory, sacrifice, and the public honoring of those who died without a grave or with graves elsewhere.