Catacombs Of Kom El Shoqafa Egypt Tours

The Kom El Shoqafa Catacombs are amongst the most popular historical attractions of the coastal city of Alexandria, with visitors coming from near and far to marvel at the Roman-style catacombs taking influence from Ancient Egyptian Art. It got its name due to a large amount of pottery remains and quarries that have accumulated over the centuries. The catacombs are located on Alexandria’s west coast, just south of the city’s Mena El Basel aka the Onion Port, nodding to the region’s former reputation as an onion trading hotspot.

This important site was actually discovered accidentally when a donkey fell 12 meters deep at the main entrance in 1900, drawing the attention of an archaeological mission working in the region since 1892. Some of the objects discovered date between 117 and 138 AD. It is generally agreed that these catacombs were used up until the 4th century and then they abandoned it.

The entrance of the Kom El Shoqafa catacombs features a 10-meter deep spiral staircase that encircles cylindrical water well. The corridor connects to a circular Rotunda room with a water well in the dead center. To one side you will find another room which was once used to host banquets. At the end of the Rotunda, a series of steps lead to a basement full of rooms, winding corridors, and chambers.

These catacombs are actually one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages thanks to their unique combination of Roman, Egyptian, and Greek influences with different walls carrying their different inscriptions.