Alexandria Day Trip – Part 5 | Egypt Travel Blog: Day 1 (Part 10)

Egypt Travel Blog: 10 DAYS Egypt Explorer - Felucca Cruise & Red Sea

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa

The catacombs of Kom El Shofaqa; date back to the second century AD and were accidentally discovered in 1900 when a donkey got lost.

The catacombs are the largest-known Roman burial site in Egypt and they consist of three tiers of tombs and chambers cut into bedrock to a depth of 35m.

The catacombs of Alexandria were originally a private tomb, but later expanded and became a public cemetery. These are one of the last major works of construction dedicated to ancient Egyptian religion.

Inside the catacombs, the endless tunnels were like a maze and it was impressive how they carved them in the solid rock.

The entry was like a spiral staircase. In the old days, the dead bodies were lowered on ropes to the centre of the circular shaft. This archaeological site was one of the Seven Wonders in the Middle Ages.

When the catacombs started in the 2nd century AD, there was only the triclinium (left) and principal tomb chamber. Later on, over 300 years of time, more and more chambers were added to accommodate bodies numbering 300 or even more.

The antechamber, the most important part or major sight, had decorations and statues. It had carvings of the Egyptian god Anubis (the god of the dead) dressed like a Roman. There were some statues of Roman emperors who ruled Egypt during this period.

We were to visit Pompey’s Pillar next, which I will talk about in the next post.