The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
The catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa are thought-about one of every of the most effective anthropology sites set in Alexandria. They were discovered before long because the twentieth century began and are thought-about one of the most important burials in Roman places, these tombs were excavated within the mother rock at the time of Emperor Aurelius, within the second century A.D.
These tombs represent the last nice existing construction for the sake of the ancient Egyptian religion. The characteristics of the Catacombs of Kom El Shohafa, its styles, and its decorations permit us to deduce that its construction was created in numerous periods, between the first, 2nd, and third centuries A.D.
Some discovered objects initiate the years 117 and 138 A.D.
Historians agree that the catacombs were used till the top of the fourth century A.D., and were later abandoned. the invention of this necessary historical website was accidental, a donkey fell into most entrances of the tombs, over twelve meters deep on Sep twenty-eighth, 1900, and this caught the eye of the anthropology mission that was already performing in the realm since 1892.
At present days, the catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa are one of every the most attractive in Alexandria, the doorway is formed by suggested spiral stairs of half a dozen meters in diameter and approx. ten meters deep encompassing cylindrical water well. These stairs were designed with larger steps at the start and smaller at the top, in keeping with the common rituals of the Roman period, and ended up in a primary basement.
This basement consists of a passageway that connects to a circular space, referred to as “the Rotunda”. within the middle of it, there's a water well. On one aspect, there's an oblong space, that was used as a banquet place. At the top of the circular space, there are steps resulting in a second basement, choked with rooms, corridors, chambers, and most of the graves of Kom El Shoqafa.
The "Rotunda" or circular space incorporates a dome and 6 columns that support it. The water well is concerning eight.5 meters deep. The walls of this space are characterized by their red geometric shapes. within the place, 5 heads of alabaster statues were found, that are presently exhibited within the classical deposit of Alexandria.
The second space that may be discovered, is understood as "triclinium". it's nine meters wide and eight.5 meters long and has the foremost outstanding decorations of Kom El Shoqafa. during this section, the relatives of the deceased met to eat throughout their visit to the catacombs.
The most necessary part of the second basement is the space wherever there are 3 sarcophagi with classical decorations. the center one presents reliefs on the difficult mummification process in Ancient Egypt.
The walls of the space have scenes portraying the Emperor of Rome sporting his crown and presenting his offerings to the god Isis, United Nations agency is protecting the deceased along with her wings.
When departing the most chamber of Kom El Shoqafa, you'll be able to observe the god Egyptian deity, in soldier garments and Roman weapons, standing ahead of a ruler door. On the correct aspect, the god Egyptian deity is additionally diagrammatic, however now with a personality's body and dragon tail. of these scenes were derived from the mortuary art of Ancient Egypt.