| Mausoleum of Sir Richard and Lady Burton | |
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 Interactive map of Mausoleum of Sir Richard and Lady Burton | |
| General information | |
| Type | Mausoleum |
| Location | 61 North Worple Way,Mortlake,London SW14 8PR, Mortlake,London Borough of Richmond upon Thames,England |
| Coordinates | 51°28′06″N0°15′41″W / 51.46846°N 0.26143°W /51.46846; -0.26143 |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | Mausoleum of Sir Richard and Lady Burton, Churchyard of St Mary Magdalen |
| Designated | 30 October 1973 |
| Reference no. | 1065392 |
TheMausoleum of Sir Richard and Lady Burton is aGrade II* listed[1] tent-shapedmausoleum ofCarrara marble andForest of Dean stone in the churchyard ofSt Mary Magdalen Roman Catholic Church Mortlake in theLondon Borough of Richmond upon Thames.[1] It contains the tombs of the Victorian explorerSir Richard Burton (1821–90), who took part in the search for the source of theRiver Nile and translatedThe Arabian Nights, and his wifeIsabel, Lady Burton (1831–96), who designed it.[2] The coffins of Sir Richard and Lady Burton can be seen through a glass panel[1] at the rear of the tent, which can be accessed via a short fixed ladder. The inscription includes a commemorative sonnet byJustin Huntly McCarthy (1859–1936), who lived inPutney.[3]
The mausoleum was completed in time for Sir Richard's funeral at the church on 15 June 1891.[4] It was restored in 1975[4] and, with the support of the Friends of Burton and theEnvironment Trust for Richmond upon Thames, in 2012–13.[5] It is now maintained byHabitats & Heritage.
Next to thelady chapel in the church there is a memorialstained-glass window to Burton, erected by his widow.[6]
Burtons' mausoleum is carved from sandstone in the shape of the tent that the couple used for expeditions into the Syrian desert.[7] The building is decorated with symbols of both Islam and Christianity, reflecting the Catholicism of Isabel Burton and Burton's fascination with Middle Eastern philosophy and religion.
