Alexandria - Catacombs of Kom el-Shukafa

Southwest of Pompey's Pillar, near the small El-Miri Mosque, is this entrance to the Catacombs of Kom el-Shukafa ("Hill of Potsherds"), hewn from the rock on the southern slopes of a hill, which probably date from the A.D. second century and offer an admirable example of the characteristic Alexandrian fusion of the Egyptian and Graeco-Roman styles.

The catacombs, which may have been the burial place of a particular religious community, were discovered in 1900. Laid out on several levels, they have been made conveniently accessible by the provision of wooden gangways and electric light.

In the vicinity of the Kom el-Shukafa catacombs are other small and less important catacombs of the Graeco-Roman period.