The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa are a Roman-era underground necropolis in Alexandria, carved into the bedrock in the 2nd century CE and used for several centuries as a multi-storey burial complex for the city’s wealthy Greek, Roman, and Egyptian families. The three-level catacomb reaches 35 metres below ground and contains a striking blend of Egyptian pharaonic iconography, Greek architectural detail, and Roman sculpture in a single coherent funerary programme, making the site one of the most important examples of Greco-Roman cultural fusion in the ancient world. The catacombs were rediscovered by accident in 1900 when a donkey fell through a hidden shaft, and they are now one of Alexandria’s three most-visited sites alongside the Library of Alexandria and Pompey’s Pillar.
The catacombs were begun in the 2nd century CE during the reign of Antoninus Pius (138-161 CE) as a single-family tomb and expanded over the following century into a large communal burial complex for several hundred individuals. The site occupies a former Roman quarry on the western side of ancient Alexandria, in an area called Rhakotis, the original Egyptian village predating Alexander’s foundation of the city.
The catacombs’ three levels were carved progressively from top to bottom, with the deepest chambers added in the 3rd and 4th centuries. The lowest level is now partially flooded by groundwater and not accessible to visitors. The middle level houses the famous main tomb chamber with its hybrid Egyptian-Greek-Roman decoration. The upper level was used for the funeral banquets (refrigerium) that were a common Roman practice — the term Kom El Shoqafa, meaning ‘mound of shards’, comes from the broken pottery left behind by these gatherings.
The most distinctive sculptural feature is in the main burial chamber: two life-size reliefs of a deceased man dressed half in Egyptian pharaonic regalia and half in Roman togate dress, with the god Anubis on one wall wearing the armour of a Roman legionary. This iconographic fusion captures the cultural identity of Alexandria’s elite during the Roman period, when prominent families consciously combined Egyptian religious traditions with Greco-Roman cultural markers.
The site was rediscovered on 28 September 1900 when a donkey fell through a hidden shaft into the upper chambers. Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Botti began the first systematic excavation in 1901, and the site has been gradually opened to the public over the following century. Major conservation work to manage groundwater intrusion continues today.
The Main Tomb Chamber on the middle level is the central attraction. The chamber’s facade is carved with Egyptian-style cornices, papyrus columns, and winged sun discs flanked by uraei (cobra symbols), but the figures inside the chamber wear Roman togas and carry Roman attributes. The two life-size relief sculptures of the deceased husband and wife show them dressed half-Egyptian, half-Roman — the husband’s torso wears a Roman tunic while his lower body is wrapped in a pharaonic kilt.
The Anubis-as-Roman-Legionary Relief is the catacomb’s most-photographed image. The jackal-headed god Anubis appears in full Roman military uniform with armoured tunic and short sword, an extraordinary cross-cultural image found nowhere else in Egyptian funerary art.
The Sarcophagus Chamber holds three large stone sarcophagi carved with Greek-style garlands and Roman portrait medallions but Egyptian funerary iconography on the rear panels. The interior of the sarcophagi connected to the surface through hidden mummification shafts, allowing additional bodies to be added without disturbing the carved facades.
The Banquet Hall (Triclinium) on the upper level held the funeral feasts that gave the site its name. Stone benches line the walls and a central low table is partially preserved. Visitors can stand where Roman-era families ate funeral meals in honour of the dead 1,800 years ago.
The Hall of Caracalla, a separate chamber discovered later and connected to the main complex by a passage, holds the bones of horses and humans that may relate to the massacre of Alexandrian youth ordered by Emperor Caracalla in 215 CE.
Location: Carmous district, Alexandria, around 3 km south-west of central Alexandria and 1 km south of Pompey’s Pillar. Most easily reached by taxi or organised tour.
Opening hours: 09:00 to 17:00 daily. Last entry around 16:00. Hours can change during Egyptian public holidays.
Entrance fee (2026, subject to change): Approximately 200 EGP (around $4 USD) for foreign-visitor adults, 100 EGP for students with international ID. Combined ticket with Pompey’s Pillar saves around 50 EGP.
Photography: Permitted in most chambers without flash. Tripods need a separate paid permit. Photography is sometimes restricted in the Main Tomb Chamber to protect the carved reliefs from cumulative flash damage.
Time needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour for a careful visit. The site is compact but the staircase down to the second level requires careful descent.
Getting there: Every Alexandria day tour from Cairo includes the Catacombs as the second stop after Pompey’s Pillar. From central Alexandria, take a taxi from any Corniche hotel for around 80 EGP one-way; allow 25 minutes for the drive across the city.
Accessibility: The site is largely underground with a steep spiral staircase down to the second level. Not wheelchair-accessible. The upper banquet hall is reachable from ground level but the main attractions require descent.
Combine with Pompey’s Pillar. The two sites sit within 1 km of each other and most travellers visit both in a single morning. The combined ticket saves the cost of separate entries.
Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes. The descent to the second level uses the original Roman spiral staircase, which is uneven and slick when humid. Sandals or flat-soled shoes are uncomfortable on the stone steps.
Look for the Roman amphorae niches. Several smaller side chambers on the middle level have wall niches that held the cremation urns of less wealthy Romans, an unusual feature in Egyptian funerary architecture.
Visit early in the day. The catacombs get hot and humid by midday as visitor numbers build up. The first arrival window (09:00 to 10:00) is the most comfortable and gives the best photography light through the air shafts.
The Catacombs are included in every EDT Alexandria itinerary. The three best options:
Every EDT Alexandria tour includes private transport, entrance fees, bottled water, and a licensed Egyptologist guide.
A Roman-era underground necropolis in Alexandria carved into the bedrock in the 2nd century CE. The three-level complex reaches 35 metres below ground and contains a striking blend of Egyptian pharaonic iconography, Greek architectural detail, and Roman sculpture in a single coherent funerary programme.
On 28 September 1900 when a donkey fell through a hidden shaft into the upper chambers. Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Botti began the first systematic excavation in 1901.
‘Mound of shards’ in Arabic, named for the broken pottery left behind by the Roman-era funeral banquets held in the upper-level Triclinium hall.
Yes for travellers interested in Greco-Roman Egypt, ancient funerary practices, or the cultural fusion of Alexandria during the Roman period. The Anubis-as-Roman-legionary relief is unique in Egyptian art.
45 minutes to 1 hour for a careful visit. The site is compact but the descent to the second level requires care on the uneven Roman spiral staircase.
No. The third (deepest) level is partially flooded by groundwater intrusion and not accessible. The upper and middle levels are fully open.