The Catacomb of Kom El Shoqafa is an ancient Alexandria site considered one of the seven wonders of the Middle East. The catacombs were discovered when a donkey accidentally fell into the site in 1900; they are Egypt’s largest known burial site.

There is a famous story about the missing girl, Masha. In 2005, some teens from Odessa decided to spend the New Year party in the Catacombs. One girl, Marsha, got separated and lost herself in the Catacombs; she spent her nights wandering the catacombs and, on the third night, died of Dehydration.

The walls of the Catacomb depict the bearded serpent called Agathodaemon, a Greek spirit that brings good luck. The snakes wear the pharollc double crown of upper and lower Egypt. Carved into the stone above them are shields bearing the head of Gorgon Medusas, staring down at visitors with her stern and scary gaze.

The most interesting is the central panel, which depicts Osiris, the Egyptian God of the afterlife, death, and resurrection. Anubis, the God of death mummification, and the underworld are mummifying him.

The two lateral panels show the Egyptian Bull God Apis receiving gifts from a Pharos beside him. She holds the feather of truth, determining whether one can go safely into the afterlife.

The Catacomb dates back to the second century CE, and the structure goes to depths of a hundred feet. It was built using ancient rock-cutting technology.

A rope and pulley system through a large well lowered the dead into the tombs. In its entirety, the complex could carry more than 300 corpses.

The Catacombs have two famous tombs, the tombs of Emperor Tigrane and Wardian.

I spent half a day wandering and exploring the Catacombs with my guide, Samara, a local Egyptian woman who told me about the wonders of the place. After That, we proceeded to see the Alexandria Library. But the most fun part was having the seafood of lobsters, carbs, and fish for lunch at the local restaurant.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the Alexandria Library and admiring its sculptures.

Alexandra is an Egyptian port city almost an hour’s drive from central Egypt. It lies on the Nile Delta and is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. It is the second largest city in Egypt after Cairo and is 183 km from Cairo.

Enjoy the pictures of the bustling streets of the grand city of Alexandria.