It was discovered in 1900, completely dug in the rock, located in the national district, west of Alexandria, close to Pompey’s pillar and serapeum temple next to Muslim cemetery. It dated back to the second half of the first century A.D. and was used until the fourth century A.D. At first, it was a private tomb, then turned into a public one. Alexandria’s most unique and most famous cemeteries represent a model for the mixture between ancient Egypt and Greco-roman art.
It consists of three floors carved in the rock, but the lower one is submerged with underground water.
the catacomb begins with the following :
- The entrance of mosaic ground.
- The staircase goes around a central light well or shaft 10 meters deep with vaulted roof and light openings; had used it to lower the dead bodies by ropes. The staircase leads to the first flower.
First floor.
It is a corridor with twin niches semi-circular on each side, and each place is fitted with a bench and roofed with a (shell ). The hall leads to the (rotunda) gallery, which has a roof standing on six pillars joined by low parapets reaching half the height of the corridor. Five stone heads were found at the bottom of the shaft and were transferred to the Greco-roman museum. To the left of (dome). Lies the banquet room of (triclinium )with three couches or benches. The roof of the ( triclinium ) is based on four drop pillars.
This hall was used by visitors of the dead to eat and to make sacrifices. On the other side of the (Rotunda), there are the (burial chambers) with holes to put the dead bodies or vessels containing the ashes of the dead (loculi) after it became a public tomb. At the western end of the dome, a staircase of 15 steps and a vaulted roof leading to the second floor, the central part of this tomb.
Second floor.
(burial chamber ). It consists of a vestibule and has two columns with palm decoration of the entrance. The crown is composed of plants and decorations of greek and Egyptian elements. Three cornices above the column are adorned with the winged solar disk between two falcons (hours). Above, there is a decorated frieze. Above the cornice and the frieze, a low arched pediment is illustrated in the middle with a solar disk between two falcons (hours). Above, there is a decorated frieze. Above the cornice and the frieze, a low arched pediment is illustrated in the middle with a sun disk. At the end of the vestibule, there are twin niches hewn in rock on the left and right in the shape of an Egyptian gate, with two statues inside, of a man and a woman, seem standing and clothes.
Still, their facial features and hair dress follow the roman lines of the second century A.D.
The entrance to the burial chamber is surmounted by a cornice decorated according to the Egyptian style, gathering the winged sun disk. Above the cornice stands a frieze of uraei (cobras).
The right and left of the entrance, a relief of Egyptian and greek elements on two pedestals, in the form of an Egyptian temple or not.
Carved in the relief are two great serpents of (agathodaimon ) protector of Alexandria and symbolizing Isis and Osiris, and wearing the double crown of upper and lower Egypt, each of them holding a symbol of Hermes princess (caduceus), the guide of the dead to the other world, and the wand (thyrsus) the character of god Dionysus, which is linked to life after death.
Above the head of each of the serpents is a medusa in roundshield (corgon). It is a figure of Greek mythology aiming to frighten the robbers and keep them away from the tomb.
Burial chambers :
It is a room with a vaulted ceiling and mixed elements of decoration of the Egyptian and greek. Its parts contain three large recesses on three sides, in each of them a sarcophagus carved in the rock whose lid does not move, but the dead bodies are put through holes in the outer corridor, then it is closed with sand-stone. There are three coffins, one in the front and two on the left and right sides when entering the room.
The front sarcophagus .
The main coffin lies in the front, decorated by a garland of olive branches and flowers hanging from the two sides, on each of them there is a mask; the right to ceilings (silene, one of the followers of the other world), and the left represents the legendary medusa. There is a relief of lying down a woman in the middle, who may be the owner of the coffin.
The back wall behind the central sarcophagus
It is a high relief showing the process of mummification according to Egyptian belief. There is a funerary bed in the middle in the form of the head of the lion wearing the Osirian crown, holding between its two front legs the feather of maat. Underneath the funerary bed, there are three canopic jars. The deceased is lying on the funerary bed in the Osirian mummy wearing the wig with the uraeo on his forehead and the false royal beard. Behind the mattress stands the jackal-headed Anubis with a sun disk on his head, and with this hand on the mummy, his left-hand carries a lotus vase.
To the right stands ibis-headed god Thoth, holding a vase filled with water in his right hand, and in his left had a scepter. To the left stands the falcon-headed Horus crowned with the double crown of upper and lower Egypt, holding the scepter (fao) in his hand, which was used in the ritual of opening the mouth and holding a vase in his left hand.
The wall is on the right side.
Represent s a priest wearing the skin of a leopard, with two feathers on his head and a woman in front of him to whom he offers lotus bud and cup with an ewer, she is wearing the sun-disk on her head, uplifting both her hands in the gesture of adoration and there is an altar decorated with lotus flowers between them.
The scene on the wall to the left
Represents a lector priest wearing the skin of a leopard holding a roll of papyrus in both hands, in front of a man ( the deceased ), wearing the wig and his head crowned with the sun-disk, raising his left hand in front of his face and his right hand holding something, between them, there is an altar with two lotus flowers.
The right sarcophagus
The coffin is adorned with a garland of grape leaves, with the bullhead in the center on both sides. There is the head of medusa.
The wall behind the coffin on the right.
The sacred Apis bull is represented standing on a pedestal in an Egyptian temple on both sides of the Apis bull. There is a crescent and the sun disk between its horns. In front of the bull, a man has to be an emperor or governor wearing the double crown of Egypt, offering a necklace to the sacred bull. behind the altar stands the goddess isis outstretching her two wings, holding the maat in her right hand ( the symbol of justice )
The right alters the wall.
God Hapi holds a long staff with both hands in the form of a mummy with the sun disk on his head.
In front of it, on the left stands a man who seems to be the governor wearing a long dress and crowd with the sun-disk, holding a long staff with both hands, between both of them is an offering on the altar.
The left lateral wall
To the right stands god Osiris in the form of a mummy wearing the sun disk on his head holding a scepter, in front of the ruler or emperor who is represented in an Egyptian standing (with his left leg in front ), wearing the sun disk with the headdress on his head, his right arm is stretched don to his side.
At the same time, he offers the maat to the god. Between both of them, there is an altar adorned with lotus flowers and incense.
The left sarcophagus
The back wall behind the sarcophagus is nearly the same as the suitable coffin, with minor differences.
Right lateral wall
Represents the ruler or the king wearing the (kilt), the royal Egyptian dress, and the hem crown on his head, offering a feather (the maat ) with his right hand to the god Osiris in the form of a mummy, with head crowned with the sun disk and cobra, between them the altar and above it the lotus plants and a food bowl.
The left lateral wall :
Represents the falcon-headed god Horus in the form of a mummy, wearing a double crown of upper and lower Egypt and holding a long staff with his hands.
In front stands a woman in the form of a mummy, wearing a wig with cobra and crowned with the sun disk, holding a staff with both hands, and an altar with offering is between them.
There is a high relief on the right when turning around to get out of the main burial chamber. The jackal-headed god Anubis standing on a platform crowned the sun disk, wearing the roman military uniform and holding a long staff with his left hand. On the left side, the same god is wearing the Osirian crown on his head with the lower part of a dragon, his right hand holding a long staff, and the left something like the node of Isis.
Gallery Caracalla
It is located beside Kum Elshoquafa cemetery. It is another cemetery that had been private then became a public one. It was named after emperor Caracalla. When it was discovered, many human bones were found in it. It matters, which suggests that the massacre of emperor Caracalla took place, taking revenge from Alexandrians for their cynicism from him. The emperor gathered the emperor Alexander’s youth for an alleged banquet in the serapeum. This army circled them and killed all of them, is another belief that the place was used for the horse races, and then it was used as a burial place for the knights with their horses.
The cemetery consists of a yard, a front room ( prostate), and a backroom (Oikos). Its old main entrance is now shut; however, it can be entered through the kom el-shoqafa cemetery entrance. A staircase leads to a yard, which surrounds an altar. The front room has a gathering. The prostate carries the shapes of the resurrection of Osiris between the two goddess isis and nejtis spreading their wings the (Oikos) has loculi.
