The Reconstruction of Greyfriars Kirkyard's Sacred Space: From the Franciscan Order's "Divinity Heaven Garden" into the Protestant's "the Sacred Cemetery"

The Scottish Reformation in the sixteenth century had a profound influence on the layout and function of Greyfriars Kirkyard. Since the Reformation it has been used in various ways such as a public cemetery, a weapon exhibition and military exercises site, and as the Covenanters prison. By exhaustively perusing historical documents, comparing different layouts in Edinburgh antique maps, and analyzing the epitaphs and engraved monuments within the cemetery, I have concluded the reconstructive principles of the sacred space represent three major shifts. The space has moved from sacred to secular from a single faith to multiple denominational and from an oppressive environment to a supportive one.