CATACOMBS OF KÔM EL-SHOUGAFA

The site of Kôm el-Shougafa, "mound of shards", conceals a network of catacombs built around a central shaft. It is said to have been discovered when a vault collapsed under the weight of a donkey. Archaeological research began in 1900. Begun in the time of the emperor Caracalla, the site dates back to the ^1st and ^2nd centuries AD and is spread over 3 levels and 90 m deep. It is extraordinary for its blend of Hellenistic, Roman and Egyptian influences, visible even to the less initiated. Located in the Rhakotis district, it is the best-preserved excavated site in Alexandria, containing around 300 coffins. Long flooded, it was restored in 1995.

Access to the catacombs is via a well around which a circular staircase has been built. This gives access to a square room with a triclinium carved into the rock, where families would gather to celebrate their dead. A rotunda follows. The most ornate part of the hypogeum is a funerary chapel with 3 niches. The decoration of the bas-reliefs is typical of late Greco-Roman art from Alexandria: while Osiris and the mummification rite are clearly recognizable, the plasticity of the figures is no longer Egyptian, and the mummy's bandage is diamond-shaped, as are mummies from Fayoum. The large serpent with its intertwined body is called Agathos Daimon, which means "benevolent genius" in Greek; it is the protector of Alexandria and a particular emblem of the city. When choosing the site of his future city, Alexander is said to have come across snakes, whose auspiciousness he appreciated and honoured. On either side of this chapel are galleries lined with loculi, which may have contained several bodies laid on a layer of sand, accompanied by vases. The Hall of Caracalla, accessed via the rotunda, bears the name of the Roman emperor whose persecuted Christians were found here.

On the esplanade , various remains of tombs are displayed in the open air. Two architectural elements stand out. Tigran's tomb, relocated from Rue Port-Saïd, is a small chapel consisting of two chambers adorned with Hellenistic mural paintings; again, note the bandaging technique of the mummy placed on a bed with stylized feet. The Wardian tomb, also found in the same district as Tigran's, is enhanced by sculpted elements.