The catacombs
are the most interesting of Alexandria. They were built in the
2nd century AD during the Roman
era. Its architecture is a unique combination of both Egyptian
and Greco-Roman art. They probably belonged to a one family.
The burials are of 3 levels at the depth of 30 meters (100 feet)
but the lowest level is unfortunately flooded with water and
inaccessible.
The entrance is accessible by climbing down a spiral staircase
round a shaft through which the body of the deceased was lowered
by robes.
The tombs have a banquet hall furnished with rock-cut benches
to accommodate visitors who come to visit the departed and dine.
The tombs were excavated accidentally in 1900 when a donkey
cart stumbled in a pit leading to the monument.
The tombs are maybe the last in Egypt to bear the theme of the
ancient Egyptian pagan beliefs.
