The Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa: A Journey into the Syncretism of Roman Egypt
The Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa represent one of the most fascinating and mysterious archaeological sites of Alexandria, Egypt. Situated in the district of Karmouz, these catacombs constitute the largest Roman funerary complex known in Egypt and are universally considered among the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Their Arabic name, which means "Mound of Shards", derives from the numerous terracotta fragments found on the surface, remains of the food offerings brought by ancient visitors in honour of the deceased.
Dating back to the 2nd century AD, the catacombs offer an extraordinary example, unique in the world, of artistic and cultural syncretism, where the Egyptian, Greek and Roman funerary traditions blend in a harmony that perfectly reflects the cosmopolitan spirit of the Alexandria of the Roman imperial epoch.
History and Discovery
The Origins of the Complex
The catacombs were initially excavated as a private tomb for a single wealthy Alexandrian family, probably around the end of the 1st or the beginning of the 2nd century AD. In the course of time, the complex was progressively enlarged to receive an ever greater number of burials, finally becoming a community necropolis used until the 4th century AD.
The epoch of construction coincides with a period of great prosperity for Alexandria, which under Roman domination was the second most important city of the empire after Rome itself. The population of the city was a multicultural mosaic of Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Jews and other communities, and this diversity is magnificently reflected in the art and architecture of the catacombs.
The Discovery in 1900
The catacombs remained hidden for centuries under the hill of Kom el-Shoqafa, forgotten and buried. Their discovery occurred in a completely casual way on 28 September 1900, when a donkey fell into a well that turned out to be the access to the underground complex. The subsequent excavations, conducted under the direction of the German-Egyptian archaeologist Giuseppe Botti and continued by Alan Rowe, revealed the extension and the richness of the catacombs, arousing wonder in the international academic world.
The discovery was immediately recognised as one of the most significant in the field of Mediterranean archaeology, so much so that the catacombs were included among the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages by some scholars.
The Architectural Structure
The Spiral Staircase
The access to the catacombs occurs through a spiral staircase that winds around a central cylindrical well and descends for about 30 metres into the subsoil. This staircase, wide enough to allow the passage of the coffins, was designed with great engineering ingenuity. The central well probably served to lower the sarcophagi with a system of ropes and pulleys, while the staircase was used by the participants in the funeral ceremonies.
The descent along the staircase is an evocative experience: the air becomes cooler, the light diminishes gradually and the visitor finds himself immersed in an atmosphere that evokes the symbolic passage from the world of the living to that of the dead, a central theme in the Egyptian religion.
The First Level: The Rotunda
The first underground level opens onto a circular rotunda with a central well from which one accesses the lower levels. From this rotunda depart corridors that lead to the triclinium, a hall used for the funeral banquets in honour of the deceased. The triclinium presents three convivial beds in stone where the relatives of the deceased consumed the ritual meal, a typically Roman tradition that here blends with the Egyptian funerary customs.
The walls of the rotunda are decorated with niches that once contained cinerary urns and small votive statues. The architecture mixes classical elements such as columns and pediments with Egyptian decorative motifs, creating a visual effect of great impact.
The Second Level: The Main Chamber
The heart of the catacombs is found on the second level, where the main sepulchral chamber is located. The access is preceded by a vestibule supported by columns that present one of the most extraordinary manifestations of Alexandrian syncretism: Corinthian capitals support architraves decorated with the Egyptian winged solar disc and with serpents that combine the pharaonic uraeus with the Greek caduceus.
The walls of the main chamber are adorned with reliefs that depict Egyptian divinities in Roman clothing. Anubis, the jackal god guardian of the dead, is represented with the cuirass and the cloak of a Roman legionary, while Thoth and Horus appear with Greek iconographic attributes. The central sarcophagus is decorated with Roman garlands, but the lid presents the traditional Egyptian uraeus serpent.
On the sides of the chamber open niches with stone sarcophagi, each decorated with a different combination of cultural motifs. Medusa heads coexist with sacred scarabs, festoons of fruit typical of Hellenistic art alternate with the Egyptian djed pillar symbol of stability.
The Third Level
The third and deepest level of the catacombs is currently largely flooded by the underground waters, which in the course of the centuries have invaded the lower galleries. When accessible, this level reveals a further extension of corridors and sepulchral niches that testify to the prolonged use and the progressive expansion of the complex.
The underground waters, although they limit the access, have paradoxically contributed to the conservation of some architectural elements, protecting them from the erosive action of the air and of the visitors. The pumping and restoration projects proceed with caution so as not to compromise the stability of the entire structure.
The Hall of Caracalla
A particularly significant area of the catacombs is the so-called Hall of Caracalla, which according to tradition was used to bury the victims of the massacre ordered by the emperor Caracalla in 215 AD. The emperor, offended by an Alexandrian satire, ordered the massacre of thousands of young people of the city. The hall contains numerous burials that some scholars connect to this tragic event, although the attribution remains the object of academic debate.
The Artistic Syncretism
A Phenomenon Unique in the World
The most extraordinary aspect of the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa is the artistic fusion between the three great cultural traditions that coexisted in Alexandria. This syncretism is not a simple juxtaposition of different elements, but a true creative integration that produces new and original artistic forms.
The reliefs show Egyptian funerary scenes realised with the Greek-Roman sculptural technique. The figures follow the Egyptian iconographic conventions, with the typical lateral profile and the frontal posture of the bust, but the modelling of the bodies reveals the plastic sensibility of classical art. The decorative hieroglyphs, although stylistically correct, are often devoid of linguistic meaning, suggesting that the artists appreciated their aesthetic and symbolic value without necessarily understanding them.
This cultural mix reflects the social reality of Alexandria, where families of Greek or Roman origin adopted elements of the Egyptian religion, in particular the beliefs relating to the afterlife, considered among the most elaborate and reassuring of the ancient world.
The Pictorial Decorations
In addition to the sculptural reliefs, the catacombs preserve traces of pictorial decorations that enriched the walls with vivid colours. Although a large part of the original polychromy has been lost, the analyses have revealed the use of red, blue, yellow and green pigments applied according to techniques that combine the tradition of the Roman fresco with the Egyptian chromatic palette.
Tips for the Visit
How to Get There
The catacombs are found in the district of Karmouz, in the south-western sector of Alexandria. They are reachable by taxi from the city centre in about 15-20 minutes. The Pompey's Pillar is found in the immediate vicinity and it is advisable to combine the visit of the two sites in the same half day.
What to Expect
The visit requires descending steep stairs and crossing narrow and low corridors. The illumination is artificial but adequate. The underground temperature is cool even in the summer months, which makes the visit pleasant as a refuge from the heat. It is advised nonetheless to wear comfortable shoes with anti-slip sole, since some surfaces can be damp.
Practical Precautions
The use of the photographic flash is not permitted in order to preserve the decorations. Bring a small torch to observe the details in the less illuminated niches. The visit is not advised to those who suffer from claustrophobia. A local guide can enormously enrich the experience by explaining the symbolic meaning of the syncretic decorations.
Combining the Visits
The catacombs are found a few steps from Pompey's Pillar and from the Serapeum. It is advisable to dedicate a half day to the visit of this area, completing the route with the nearby National Museum of Alexandria to contextualise the finds in the broader historical framework of the city.
To visit the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa is an experience that transports the visitor into the heart of the multicultural Alexandria of the Roman epoch, a place where death became the meeting ground between civilisations and where funerary art reached peaks of creativity and syncretism without equal in the ancient world.
