Kom El Shoqafa Catacombs Alexandria: Underground Guide

Tucked beneath the bustling streets of a quiet residential neighborhood in Alexandria lies one of the largest and most extraordinary Greco-Roman burial sites in the Mediterranean basin. The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa (meaning "Mound of Shards") represent a multi-level subterranean necropolis carved directly into solid limestone bedrock during the 2nd century AD.

Recognized during the Middle Ages as one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages, this underground burial complex is famous for its unique fusion of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artistic and architectural styles.

Here is a complete visitor guide to exploring the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa in Alexandria.

The Accidental Discovery

Like many great archaeological sites in Egypt, the discovery of the catacombs occurred completely by accident.

In September 1900, a local resident’s donkey accidentally fell through a fissure in the ground into an underground chamber. When local authorities arrived to rescue the animal, they discovered a vast, three-tiered subterranean labyrinth of tombs, dining halls, and ceremonial chambers filled with ancient sarcophagi and relief carvings.

The Fusion of Three Civilizations

What makes the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa globally unique is its seamless blending of cultural artistic traditions:

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  Pharaonic Religion with Roman Style: Inside the main central tomb chamber, you will see relief carvings of traditional Egyptian gods—such as Anubis, Horus, and Thoth—dressed in Roman military armor and holding Roman weapons.

  
  


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  Medusa and the Snake Guardians: Guarding the entrance to the main tomb chamber are relief carvings of Medusa flanked by giant bearded snakes wearing the traditional Egyptian pschent crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt.

  
  

Key Underground Sections to Explore

Visitors descend into the cool underground complex via a circular stone staircase wrapping around a central light shaft used anciently to lower bodies into the tomb:

1. The Rotunda and Triclinium (Dining Hall)

At the base of the entrance stairs lies a central circular rotunda. Adjacent to it is the Triclinium, a ceremonial banquet hall where living relatives gathered during annual memorial festivals to eat meals honoring deceased ancestors. Visitors sat on rock-cut stone couches around a central stone table.

2. The Main Tomb Chamber (The Hypogeum)

Passing through an elegant temple-style facade supported by Greek columns brings you to the central burial sanctuary. Inside sit three massive granite sarcophagi set into wall niches. The wall reliefs show traditional Egyptian mummification scenes executed with Roman artistic proportions.

3. The Hall of Caracalla (Tomb of the Horses)

This large adjacent chamber contains the remains of dozens of horses and young men. Historical tradition links this mass burial to a massacre ordered by Roman Emperor Caracalla in 215 AD, though archaeologists note it served as a mass burial pit for sacred horses and local residents.

Essential Practical Visitor Tips

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  Lower Level Water Conditions: For decades, rising groundwater flooded the lowest third level of the catacombs. A major engineering drainage project completed in 2019 permanently lowered the water table, allowing visitors to walk through clean, dry stone corridors.

  
  


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  Wear Sturdy Footwear: The subterranean stone staircases and rock corridors can be cool, damp, and slightly slick. Wear grippy walking shoes.

  
  


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  Combine with Pompey's Pillar: The catacombs are located just a short ten-minute walk from Pompey’s Pillar and the ancient Serapeum ruins, making them easy to combine into a single morning itinerary in Alexandria.

  
  

Exploring the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa offers a fascinating subterranean look at the blending of ancient Egyptian religion with classical Greco-Roman culture.