Catacombs of Kom El-Shouqafa

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