The Catacombs of Kom El Shuqqafa

Overview of The Catacombs of Kom El Shuqqafa:

The most significant tomb in Alexandria is located in the east and is called the Catacombs of Kom El Shuqqafa. On September 28, 1900, a donkey accidentally fell into an excavation at a depth of 12 meters, revealing The Catacombs. Then the archaeologist discovered a catacomb, which may have been for a wealthy family when prospecting operations began in 1892, before being used to bury many families after a group of welders rolled it.

The Configuration of the Building:

The Kom El Shuqqafa Catacombs have four stories and an inner spiral stairway encircling a 6-meter-diameter and 10-meter-deep hole. The reason why the lower stairs are higher than the top ones is that, as we know from Roman structures, people tend to become more active after visiting the deceased. It appears as though he comforts the guest by walking a low spiral road rather than ascending. While the stairway’s lighting came from rectangular holes in the stairway wall.

The spherical hall of the dead’s remains is in front of you, has a dome supported by six pillars, and leads to a few modest rooms. The first story is entered through a vestibule. The TRICLINIUM hall, which has a square shape and three terraces, is in addition to the spherical hall. At feasts and other noteworthy occasions, the visitors of the deceased gather to eat. There is a rostrum on the second floor, through which you can see the burial room. More than 300 bodies may be found in the Catacombs. The Egyptian, Roman, and Greek iconography can be seen on the pillar and the walls. And an image of “Anubis,” the Egyptian God of the Dead, is shown on the inside walls. Four corridors connect to a tiny cluster of graves. One of these passageways leads to a completely distinct complex that was connected to Kom Ash Shuqqafa, the latter of the two. The majority of the walls are unadorned, and practically all of the paintings are faded.