The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, is the Arab translation of the ancient Greek name,
Lofus Kiramaikos which means “mound of shards” or “potsherds”. Located to the southwest
of the Pompey’s pillar is a multi level labyrinth featuring dozens of chambers adorned
with sculpted pillars, statues and other Romano Egyptian religious symbols, burial
niches and sarcophagi as well as a banquet room of Roman style, where memorial meals
were conducted by relatives of the deceased.
Many of the features of the necropolis merge both Roman, Greek and Egyptian cultural
points, due to the time period. So some statues are Egyptian in style, Roman clothes
and hair style whilst other features share a similar style. During the age of the
Antonine emperors a circular staircase used to transport deceased bodies down the middle of it, leads down into the tombs that were tunneled into the bedrock. So
its easy access was then used as a burial chamber. According to tradition, this
is a mass burial chamber for the humans and animals massacred by order of the Emperor
Caracalla, so this is one of the more gruesome features of the catacombs, called
Hall of Caracalla.
History
Located in Rhakolis a fishing village in the old part of Alexandria City in Egypt;
the catacombs survived due to its advantageous location to the historical turmoil
taken place during the past centuries has either eliminated much of the rich monuments.
The underground tunnels dates back to the 1st century AD and was used until the
4th century AD. On 28th September 1900, according to popular belief, a donkey cart
fell into a pit which led to the discovery of the catacombs. But the reality is
that Said Ali Jibarah, an Alexandrian man, was quarrying for stone when he broke
open the vault of a subterranean tomb.
Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
Probably the catacombs were used for a single wealthy family as a private tomb and
later converted to a public cemetery. They are composed of a three levels; the first
level consists of a vestibule with a double exedra, a rotunda and a big dinning-table
with chairs at three sides (triclinium), including a platform for funeral rituals;
in an original state, the second level was the main tomb with various surrounding corridors, magnificent statues, decorations on all proper places, images, ornate
carvings and practically everything needed for a funeral hall; the third level is
submerged in ground water, also saturated with sand. The large number of grooves
cut in the rock is known as “loculi”. The complex contained over one hundred loculi
numerous rock-cut sarcophagus tombs, in its final stage.
Representing an integration of the cultures and traditions of the Egyptians, the
cemetery is unique both for their plan and decoration. People seemed to have a talent
for combining rather than destroying, so in this place we find decorations related
to ancient an Egyptian theme which makes them quite unlike anything in the world.
The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa may not be as famous or visible as the Pyramids
but they are equally astonishing and
perhaps more intriguing than the Pyramids.
In olden days Christians of the Roman Empire this subterranean funeral halls were
resorted to bury their dead and evade desecration by the oppressive regimes. Kom
el Shoqafa structures were Pagan sects. The members of the Pharoah-Cult placed the
intact dead bodies in this place because they believed in rebirths.
Considered by archaeologist and all who love their heritage and history, a real
treasure by its scripts written, the motif, the engravings, statues and even the
coffins. In a sense catacombs were an escape to the oppressed and the hunted to
preserve their rituals and heritage.