When we think of a cemetery, the image that comes to mind is that of tombs dug into the ground. But there is at least one place in the world where not only is this not the case, but the graves they hang on a wall.
For centuries, a tribe in the Philippines has not buried its dead, but rather has perched on a rock. It is probably one of the few places on Earth where this happens, and tourists come every year to see this peculiar graveyard.
Located just outside the small Philippine town of Sagada, the rock is used by the Igorot tribe for a very ancient practice. The ritual, which has more than 2,000 years, consists of the elderly carving their own coffins.
When they have passed away, the body is placed on a wooden stand tied with leaves and vines, and it is smoked to prevent spoilage. Over the next few days, relatives pay their respects to the body and then the coffin is painted with their name.
Afterwards, the coffins are suspended above the ground and nailed to the cliff of the ‘echo valley’, so called because those who move the coffins they shout to the rest of the dead to let them know that a new soul will join soon.
Anthropologists believe that the practice protect the dead from floods caused by the country’s tropical storms, while allowing them an easier passage to heaven.
The Igorot tribe are not the only people who have practiced this custom of nailing coffins to a cliff: it has been documented that people in China and Indonesia They have also done it.
