Kawm ash Shaqāfah, Egypt Travel Journals & Blogs

Traveler Egypt Experience
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Nov 21, 2022, 10:00am
- ☁️ 22 °C
- Altitude: 24 m
- Egypt Alexandria Kawm ash Shaqāfah 31.178974, 29.89291931°10’44” N 29°53’35” E
Day 5
Alexandria 2; Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs
November 21, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
The Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs were discovered by accident in 1902, when a donkey accidentally fell into the main access shaft during some construction work. Also known as the Necropolis, the Catacombs are one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.

They comprise a series of tombs built on three levels and bodies were lowered down a central shaft by rope before being transferred to their tombs. They are thought to be for one family originally, as the highly decorated principal Tomb chamber comprises three sarcophagi with sealed lids (the bodies were inserted from below).

In the courtyard, we visit The Tigran Tomb; this was moved here after its discovery in 1952 - the patterns in the decorations date back to the 2nd century BC!Read more
1 like
Ladyandtramp Egypt for 1 Month, then Mexico
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Jan 7, 2023, 11:00am
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: 24 m
- Egypt Alexandria Kawm ash Shaqāfah 31.17839, 29.8930531°10’42” N 29°53’35” E
Catacombs of Kom El-Shouqafa
January 7, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
The Catacombs that we visited today were just a little east of Alexandria but right in the middle of a residential area.The cemetery dates back to the 1st century A.D. and was used until the 4th century A.D. It was discovered in 1900 when, by pure chance, a donkey-drawn cart fell into a pit, and that led to their discovery.

These catacombs, also known as Kom el-Shoqafa or “mound of shards’’ in Arabic, are one of the seven wonders of the medieval world.

A winding staircase of 99 steps goes around a central shaft and takes you to the catacombs and the tombs that are arranged on three levels.
Bodies of the deceased were lowered down the shaft by means of ropes, to prevent any damages to them

The staircase leads to a vestibule with two niches on both sides. The top of each niche is in the shape of a shell, while the bottom part contains a half round bench, cut into the rock, I assume a place to rest after descending the stairs of the tomb.

The lowest level is flooded by groundwater so we couldn't go down to it but we were free to explore the first 2 levels. They were pretty dark and the air was damp and musty. It was kind of like going into a haunted house... eerie.

On the first level, there was a vestibule and a rotunda. A passage lead to the triclinium - a large hall, in which there were stone benches along three walls. I guess that funeral services were organized in this room and meals eaten. At the end of the feast, all the utensils that were used were shattered because it was believed that it was bad luck to re-use the utensils used at the funeral. Tons of pottery scattered around the area gave the place its contemporary name - Kom El-Shoqfa, which means "hill of shards".

I learned a new word today - luculi. These are grooves cut in the rock, where coffins are stored. There were lots of these down there but no coffins. Everything has been moved to a museum somewhere, I think.

While Egypt's most famous history dates back to the time of the Pharaohs, its history didn't stop there. Egypt was also part of the Greek and Roman empires for hundreds of years. The structure of the catacombs, the way their niches are ordered, the sarcophagi and the decorations on the walls, show a blend of influences from the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilisations. And that's what makes these catacombs so special.Read more
0 likes
Greece, Egypt and Jordan
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Jan 11, 2023, 9:45am
- ⛅ 12 °C
- Altitude: 85 ft
- Egypt Alexandria Kawm ash Shaqāfah 31.179279, 29.89284231°10’45” N 29°53’34” E
Day 22
A day trip to Alexandria
January 11, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
We didn't want to miss Alexandria on our trip around Egypt so we booked a private tour on one of the free days we had in Cairo. Romani organised it for us and, once again, Ray was our guide. I say guide, but perhaps that should be 'escort' or 'chaperone' because he is proving to be less and less able as a guide every time we go out with him! 😂

We set off at 7.30am because Ray said it would take 3 hours to get to Alexandria. In the event, the freeway was clear and we did the journey in only 2!

Alexandria is Egypt's second city with a population of around 16 million compared to Cairo with 25 million. It is located on the Mediterranean coast and is a popular tourist resort for visitors from the rest of Egypt 🇪🇬 and overseas.

The city is named after Alexander the Great who founded it in 331 BC when he was just 25 years old. Alexandria's towering Pharos lighthouse, marking the ancient harbour's entrance, was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It's Great Library with its 750,000 books and manuscripts, was considered the archive of ancient knowledge. However, the city suffered a number of disasters. The Pharos collapsed and the Great Library burnt to the ground. Part of the ancient city disappeared under the sea and part under the modern city, so there are few visible remains of the glorious part.

Nevertheless, Alexandria is still well worth a visit - we thoroughly enjoyed our time here.Read more
2 likes
Greece, Egypt and Jordan
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Jan 11, 2023, 10:00am
- ⛅ 15 °C
- Altitude: 105 ft
- Egypt Alexandria Kawm ash Shaqāfah 31.179389, 29.89309431°10’46” N 29°53’35” E
Day 22
The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
January 11, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Our first stop in Alexandria was at the catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa.

These were discovered in 1900 when a donkey pulling a cart full of scrap metal disappeared into the ground! They are the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, consisting of three tiers of tombs and chambers cut into bedrock to a depth of 35 metres.

Entry to the catacombs is via a spiral staircase. Bodies would have been lowered on ropes down the centre of this circular shaft. The catacombs were originally constructed in the second century AD, probably by a rich Roman family and intended for their sole use. They would have had the principle tomb chamber decorated in a fusion of Greek and Pharaonic styles, and the triclinium, a banqueting hall where grieving relatives paid their last respects with a funeral feast.

Over the next 300 years, the catacombs were used by other families, including Christians and Muslims. More chambers were hacked out until the place became a warren holding 300 corpses.

Today, the lower tier of the catacombs lies below the water table. Between 500 and 600 square metres of water has to be pumped out every hour in order to keep them accessible.

When the catacombs were discovered, the skeletons were removed and reburied elsewhere. The only bones remaining in the tombs today are those of a horse belonging to one of the dead Romans. Ray was quite shocked when I told him that the catacombs in Paris are still full of human remains!Read more
2 likes
skip's retirement travel Egypt
- Show trip
- Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
- Share
- Apr 12, 2021, 9:11am
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 25 m
- Egypt Alexandria Kawm ash Shaqāfah 31.17833, 29.8933331°10’42” N 29°53’36” E
Day 4
Alexandrian Catacombs
April 12, 2021 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
The catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa dating to the 2nd century is a necropolis of the pharaonic funeral cult with several cultural influences from Greece and early Rome. I confess to being surprised to find underground structures this close the the sea.
The 1st picture is the central access shaft around which a spiral staircase leads down into the catacombs. The rest of the pictures are in the catacombs, showing structure, niches and decoration.Read more
0 likes