The article examines the cultural characteristics and emotions associated with the Greek cult of death. The analysis of modern cult practices based on field research materials in comparison with ancient sources reveals many parallels with the official cult of the ancient Greeks and can shed light on the meaning and content of ancient rituals. The article attempts to demonstrate the adaptation of new ideologies to older rites and beliefs, as well as the connection between public and private rituals. It is suggested that the identified similarity may represent a common way of expressing it in a broader geographical context. Keywords: Greece, death cult, death-related rituals, funeral lament, gifts to the deceased, memorial rites, holidays dedicated to the dead. Introduction The death cult plays a particularly important role in the Southeastern Mediterranean. This is evidenced, for example, by the continuous struggle for the graves of our forefathers and foremothers in Hebron. The main Shia holiday is dedicated to the death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. During the celebrations, it is very important to make a pilgrimage to the tomb of the imam in Karbala (Iraq), which was previously not allowed by Saddam Hussein's regime. This prohibition is not new: as early as 850, the Caliph considered it politically expedient to level al-Husayn's tomb and prohibit pilgrimage to Karbala. However, state intervention proved ineffective, and the restored tomb remains to this day the most important religious center for Shiites. Pilgrimage to Karbala was allowed again in 2003. For Shiites, it is especially important to be buried near the sanctuary, as they believe that this will ensure access to paradise (Granebaum, 1981). Manifestations of the death cult are also found in the Balkans and in more northern lands. So, in 1988, 600 years after the defeat of Serbian Prince Lazar on the Kosovo field, believers carried his coffin in processions in every village in Serbia. An ... Read more