In the name of Uncertain future, we make provisions for everything, we buy medical policies, plan our retirement, score on property and estates to ensure a good living for children and many more. We take for granted that a decent burial is the something we can expect from our kith and kin and is definitely not much to ask for. But if you are in the land of Syria, a grim situation has arisen as folks there will even have to plan their death to ensure a desired burial spot. This is because a grave alone in well-known cemeteries like Bab al-Saghir and Al-Dahdah in the capital city, Damascus will cost as much as US$650.
The only prima facie reasons for this is ever increasing space crunch and skyrocketing property prices. To ensure a burial in one of well known cemeteries without inflicting trouble on survivors, Syrians are buying their grave spots well in advance.The grim side here is shortage of burial sites and an increasing demand has led to hatching of black markets which again is contributing to the price spiraling effect. However, the government is trying to optimize the problem by creating a cemetery for the residents of Damascus outside the city called Najha, where graves are relatively cheap at US $20-80.
For Syrians, it is a vital issue as to where they would be buried. A lot of social and cultural conventions decide burial procedures for men and women there.
