The Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs in Alexandria, northern Egypt, reveal a funerary world dating back roughly 2,000 years, spread across three underground levels carved into the rock. Visitors reach the site’s levels via a spiral staircase extending more than 10 metres below ground, before passageways lead them to spacious halls and burial chambers decorated with inscriptions and ornamentation combining Egyptian and Roman influences.
The origins of Kom el Shoqafa and the catacomb style
The site dates to the second century AD and is considered one of the most prominent examples of Roman funerary architecture known as the catacomb style: underground tombs and passageways containing corridors and rock-cut chambers. The site is also called a catacomb, a Latin word referring to underground tombs or burial chambers.
The area acquired the name Kom el Shoqafa because of the large quantity of pottery shards that accumulated there, according to information from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Egypt’s chief archaeologist, Magdy Shaker, said visitors to the tombs in ancient times left behind remains of pottery vessels used in funerary rituals during the Roman period. The fragments accumulated over time, and the site became known by this name.
The tombs are distinguished by a clear blend of Egyptian and Roman civilisations in their design and decoration. Their inscriptions and burial chambers provide an insight into the funerary beliefs prevalent during that period, while showing how ideas about death and immortality were reflected in the site’s art and architecture.
A private tomb becomes a public burial ground
Kom el Shoqafa began as a private tomb belonging to one of Alexandria’s notable citizens and was associated with a wealthy Roman family that lived in the ancient city during the second century AD. The tomb later became a public burial ground as the number of burial places declined, particularly during the third and fourth centuries AD, and it remained in use until the end of the fourth century AD.
The three rock-cut levels are connected by a spiral staircase with a tiered design. Information from the Egyptian presidency indicates that the steps at the lower part of the staircase are taller, then gradually become lower as the staircase approaches ground level. The large number of chambers and decorations, together with the complexity of the internal layout, gives the site additional archaeological significance, alongside the interplay it demonstrates between Egyptian and Roman art.
The discovery of the chambers and the groundwater problem
The underground chambers remained out of sight for centuries until they were discovered by chance in 1900. Since that discovery, the tombs have faced the problem of rising groundwater levels, particularly on the lower levels, affecting access to and preservation of parts of the site.
In March 2019, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities announced the completion of a project to lower groundwater levels in the tombs area, at a cost of $5.7 million at the time. The project enabled the lowest level of the catacomb tombs to open to visitors for the first time since the site was discovered 119 years earlier. Egypt’s antiquities minister at the time, Khaled El-Enany, said the groundwater problem had affected the site since its discovery.
He explained that work on the project began in May 2016 after the water caused a section measuring about two centimetres to fall from one of the tomb’s walls. He added that the completed work made it possible to see the lower level dry for the first time since 1900.
The value of the tombs and opportunities to develop visits
Magdy Shaker described Kom el Shoqafa as one of Alexandria’s most important and prominent complete historical tombs, because of its architectural style, which combines characteristics of ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman art. He said the tombs, extending across several underground levels and carved directly into the rock, contain an integrated architectural system including spiral staircases, visitor halls and places for funerary meals.
Shaker added that the inscriptions and decorations inside the site reflect the ancient Egyptians’ and Romans’ beliefs about death and immortality. He said the tombs’ architectural and visual features gave them greater potential to attract tourists from around the world, and called for more effective promotion of the site using modern display technologies.
Shaker proposed using interactive three-dimensional lighting, alongside audio and musical performances and artificial intelligence technologies, to recreate the story of the tombs’ discovery and history in a cinematic style that matches international presentation standards.
He said the site’s design, spiral staircase and burial chambers could provide an appealing tourist attraction, inviting foreign visitors to discover the history and art preserved in the tombs over roughly 2,000 years.
