A cenotaph can be a simple structure or an elaborate monument, but its significance remains the same—honoring those who have passed away, especially those whose remains are not interred at the location. Some famous cenotaphs include the Cenotaph in London, commemorating British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the two World Wars, and the Cenotaph in the United States, a memorial to fallen soldiers of various conflicts.
Cenotaphs are not only found in military contexts. They are also constructed in memory of people who may have died far from home or in circumstances where their burial was impossible or unfeasible, such as explorers, adventurers, and victims of large-scale disasters.