The catacombs at Kom El-Shoqafa are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The ancient Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa are an exceptionally well-preserved and interesting blend of several eras, with Pharaonic and Roman dedications to the deceased among its many treasures.
A donkey fell into a hole in the earth in 1900, resulting in the discovery of these rock-cut burial chambers and tombs, which were discovered entirely by chance.
Location:
The Port City of Roman Alexandria, located three hours north of Cairo, has several Roman ruins dating to Alexander the Great.
The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa are located not far from Alexandria’s famous Corniche (seafront).
History:
According to archeological research, the Catacombs date back to about the 2nd century AD.
They are situated at a depth of around 100 feet under the earth’s surface.
A mixture of graves and a feasting room, where a family of the dead would sit and assemble in memory of their departed loved ones, as well as eat, comprise the chambers.
The style and design of the tombs were a fusion of Egyptian Pharaonic, Roman, and Greek elements, honoring all of Egypt’s ancestors’ traditions.
The Hall of Caracalla was given this name by scholars in honor of the Roman emperor who slaughtered Alexandria youngsters during a review in 215 AD.
In the Triclinium, where the first archeologists who entered the room discovered wine jars and tableware, mourners offered toasts to the deceased from stone couches.
There are muscular bound sculptures of Sobek and Anubis wearing Roan armor in the Central Tomb below, which has a vestibule guarded by reliefs of bearded serpents with Medusa heads shields and dates from the second century AD, when “the ancient religions started to combine and dissolve” (Forster).
The Goddess Nemesis Hall (which is still accessible) has been flooded, and the lowest level has been submerged, hastening the degradation of the catacombs.
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