Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs

The Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs is one of the largest Roman-era cemeteries known in Egypt
This underground tomb complex consists of three levels of tombs, with the burial chambers reaching a depth of 35 meters

The lowest level, approximately 20 meters below street level, is flooded with groundwater and inaccessible, but the upper areas that can be visited are already impressive enough
These tombs, constructed in the 2nd century AD, likely belonged to a family and later developed into a public cemetery capable of holding 300 corpses
The dark, spiral staircases within the tombs were the pathways used to transport the deceased; here, people would lower the bodies down the round axis using ropes
The central courtyard provided lighting and ventilation
Descending to the first level through a corridor leads to a circular hall, with the dining room on the left side for bereaved families to have meals, and the stairs at the front lead down to the main burial chamber on the second level
The rare reliefs on the tomb walls are world-renowned: the guardian sacred snake wears the red and white crowns representing Upper and Lower Egypt, holds the pine cone scepter of the Greek god Dionysus and the double serpent staff of the messenger god Hermes, and also sports the round shield of the Greek gorgon Medusa on its head
Meanwhile, the Egyptian tomb guardian god Anubis, standing inside the tomb, is dressed in the attire of a Roman legionary
These unique reliefs have made this tomb famous
Passing through the reception room and two small paths, one enters a U-shaped corridor, and at the corner of the corridor, there is a cave, which is the actual burial place of the tomb’s owner
The tomb is open all year round from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

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