Photograph of Pohukaina / Sacred Burial Moundd

Contemporary 21st century photograph of Pohukaina / Sacred Burial Mound located in the southeast quadrant of the Iolani Palace grounds. It was once the site of the Royal Mausoleum. Today it is fenced-in to respect the Hawaiian chiefs who may still be buried there. In 1825, a mausoleum of white-washed coral block was constructed to house the remains of Kamehameha II and his consort, Queen Kamamalu, both of whom died of measles while on a journey to England.

For the next forty years, this royal tomb and the land immediately surrounding it became the final resting place for the kings of Hawaii, their consorts, and important chiefs of the kingdom. In 1865, eighteen coffins were removed from this site and transferred to Mauna Ala, the Royal Mausoleum, in Nuuanu Valley.