Summary
The Novo Cemetery is a Grade II listed[1] Sephardic Jewish cemetery located within the grounds of Queen Mary University of London in Mile End in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Opened in 1733, it is one of only two exclusively Sephardic cemeteries left in England.
| Novo Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 The Novo Cemetery in 2017 | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1733 |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 51°31′26″N 0°02′17″W / 51.524°N 0.038°W |
| Type | Sephardic Jewish |
| Designations | |
|---|---|
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | The Novo Cemetery |
| Designated | 11 April 2014 |
| Reference no. | 1416421 |
History edit
England's first Jewish cemetery, the Velho Cemetery, was built on a small plot of land in Mile End in 1657. As the nearby Jewish community grew in size, and the Velho began to fill up. By 1726, it was nearly full, so land for a second, larger Sephardi cemetery, the Novo Cemetery, was leased, with the first burials taking place in 1733.[1][2]
By 1895 the cemetery was almost full, and it was closed for burials for adults in 1905 and for children in 1918. Historic England added it to the register of listed buildings in 2014, as a Grade II.[3]
Notable people edit
One of the most notable people buried in the cemetery is the Rabbi and Kabbalist Shalom Buzaglo, also known as the "Mikdash Melech." He was born in Marrakesh, Morocco and raised in southern Morocco, which was then a kabbalistic center. He fled persecution by the sultan and settled in London, where he wrote and published numerous works on kabbalah, including the first systematic commentary on the Zohar.
Notable interments edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Historic England (11 April 2014). "The Novo Cemetery (1416421)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ Christiansen, Siri (20 February 2020). "The Novo Cemetery: a landmark of Jewish history hidden in plain sight". Roman Road London. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ "Novo Cemetery: East London's Secret Jewish Burial Ground". Look Up London. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
External links edit
- Information about the Novo Cemetery from Historic England