Necropolises were built for many reasons. Sometimes their origin was purely religious, such as in the case of the Valley of the Kings in Egypt in which many Pharaohs, who were considered to be Gods incarnate, were entombed. Other cultures created necropolises in response to prohibitions on burials within city limits.

What is the difference between a cemetery and a necropolis?

As nouns the difference between necropolis and cemetery

is that necropolis is a large cemetery, especially one of elaborate construction in an ancient city while cemetery is a place where the dead are buried; a graveyard or memorial park.

What is necropolis?

: cemetery especially : a large elaborate cemetery of an ancient city.