Ancient site · Alexandria
Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa
Roman-era tombs cut into the bedrock beneath Alexandria, where Egyptian, Greek and Roman art meet, and one of the city's most remarkable ancient sites.
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The story
This burial complex dates to the 2nd century AD, in the Roman period, and was cut into the bedrock around a spiral staircase wound about a central shaft. It began as a family tomb, grew to receive a large number of burials, and remained in use until about the 4th century AD. Visitors find a round rotunda, a banqueting hall for funerary feasts and a main burial chamber with three sarcophagi. The decoration blends ancient Egyptian symbols, Greek myth and Roman style. It was forgotten until September 1900, when a donkey fell into the shaft and the site was discovered by chance.
Good to know
- The catacombs were found by chance in September 1900, when a donkey fell into the entrance shaft.
- Visitors descend by a spiral staircase around a central shaft that was used in antiquity to lower the dead.
- The decoration fuses Egyptian, Greek and Roman elements: some statues have Egyptian poses yet Roman dress and hairstyles.
- The complex runs over several levels cut into rock, and the lowest level is hard to access because of groundwater.
Visiting tips
You begin by descending the spiral staircase to the first level; the lowest level is hard to reach because of water. Please check opening hours and prices before visiting, as they can change. The site pairs naturally with a visit to nearby Pompey's Pillar.