LOS ANGELES (BBC) - The crypt in which Elvis Presley was first buried has been withdrawn from an auction after protests it should be kept as a shrine. More than 10,000 fans signed a petition against the sale of the tomb at Forest Hill Cemetery in Tennessee. Julien’s Auctions said it would not sell the crypt until the cemetery “finds a plan that best suits the interests of fans while respecting and preserving the memory of Elvis”. The crypt has been empty since 1977. Presley was temporarily interred there alongside his mother, Gladys, for two months after he died before being reburied at his Graceland home. Fans argued on the Elvis Matters website: “Can you imagine visiting the crypt and spend a few moments of silence, while an unknown is buried there? If the crypt is still accessible for fans, that is.”