Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa Excursion | Alexandria Attractions

The Greco-Roman catacombs of Alexandria are unique, significantly different from all the necropolises in Egypt we know about. Unique reliefs, interlacing styles and rock cut tombs - all these you will find during a sightseeing tour of the Catacombs of Kom al-Shoqafa.

Alexandria catacombs are situated at great depths, so the descent into them is carried out on a spiral staircase, carved back in antiquity around a huge round shaft. The shaft had several functions in the past and thanks to this mine, the bodies of the dead could be lowered into the catacombs, it also served as a source of light and ventilation for the tombs. Despite the fact that the bodies of the deceased may have been sealed in their graves inside the catacombs, the tomb itself was not closed and the living had access to it, just as we visit the cemetery today.

A tour of these catacombs is a fascinating journey into the past, which opens up to us the amazing traditions of the ancients, the transition period from the flourishing art of the time of the pharaohs to the new era of Greco-Roman style and traditions.