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Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, Alexandria

Main tomb of the Kom el-Shoqafa catacombs: two papyrus columns, a winged sun disc and serpents carved in the rock
Photo: Asiatologist, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Ticket (foreign visitors)
200 EGP
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Hours
Daily from 9:00, last entry 16:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
1 h
With kids
Fine with kids
Students up to 24
100 EGP with valid student ID
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Children under 6
Free
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Ramadan
From 9:00, last entry 15:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Where to buy
Egymonuments website, Experience Egypt app or the ticket office
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Payment
Visa and Mastercard on every channel, including the ticket office
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Refunds
Dated tickets, non-refundable
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Phone photos
Free
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Lowest level
Flooded by groundwater, closed
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Getting there
10-min walk from Pompey's Pillar; Uber or taxi from downtown ≈ 15 min
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Neighbourhood
Karmouz, south-west of Pompey's Pillar
Coordinates
31.18694, 29.90472YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

2nd century ADcarved under the Antonine emperors; burials continued into the 4th century
3 sourcesEnglish WikipediaCairoSceneHistory Hit
1900rediscovered by accident when a donkey fell through into the access shaft
4 sourcesEnglish WikipediaHistory HitWikivoyageCairoScene
3 levelscut into solid rock; the lowest is flooded by groundwater
3 sourcesEnglish WikipediaShowcaves.comCairoScene
Anubisshown in a Roman legionary's dress on the main tomb's reliefs
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaCairoScene
“Mound of shards”the meaning of the name — from pottery broken at funeral meals
3 sourcesHistory HitWikivoyageGPSmyCity
Spiral staircasewinds round a shaft used to lower bodies on ropes
3 sourcesEnglish WikipediaHistory HitCairoScene
Tricliniuma funeral banqueting hall with rock-cut couches
3 sourcesEnglish WikipediaHistory HitCairoScene
Hall of Caracallaan older, separate tomb with human and horse bones, joined by a breach in the wall
3 sourcesEnglish WikipediaWikivoyageCairoScene
≈ 300burials fitted into the niches once the family tomb was enlarged
2 sourcesHistory HitShowcaves.com
Medusaheads on the shields above the burial chamber door, with guardian serpents either side
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaCairoScene
Medieval “wonder”once listed among the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaHistory Hit

Kom el-Shoqafa tickets and opening hours

Foreign visitors pay 200 EGP; students up to 24 with a valid student card pay 100 EGP, and under-6s go free. The site is open every day from 9:00, with last entry at 16:00 (15:00 in Ramadan). Phone photography is free — no camera ticket needed.

Tickets are sold on the ministry's Egymonuments website, in its Experience Egypt app and at the gate. Online tickets are tied to a date and can't be refunded, so if your plans are loose, just buy on arrival — this isn't Giza, and the day won't sell out. Pompey's Pillar and the Roman theatre at Kom el-Dikka cost the same, but there is no combined ticket.

Visa and Mastercard are accepted on every official channel, ticket offices included. Keep small Egyptian pounds anyway for street taxis and tips.

How to get to Kom el-Shoqafa

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on footdestinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

On foot

  • Roman Amphitheatre (Kom el-Dikka) is about 17 min away on foot.
  • Pompey's Pillar is about 13 min away on foot.

More tips

  1. From Saad Zaghloul Square and the Eastern Harbour Corniche the catacombs are about 2.6 km away as the crow flies, through busy streets — not a pleasant walk. Take an Uber (it officially operates in Alexandria) or a taxi: about 15 minutes.
  2. Search for “Kom El Shoqafa Catacombs” in the app. Street taxis have no meter, so agree the fare before you get in.
  3. Coming off the train from Cairo at Misr Station, it's about 2 km in a straight line — another short taxi ride.
  4. Starting at Pompey's Pillar? Walk about 600 m south-west through Karmouz — 10 minutes.
  5. Buy your ticket at the gate, head down the spiral staircase and allow about an hour for both levels.
  6. Afterwards, a taxi takes you to Kom el-Dikka downtown or on to the sea and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Is Kom el-Shoqafa worth visiting?

Yes — it's the most striking ancient site in Alexandria and nothing like Giza or Luxor. The draw is the mix: Egyptian temple architecture carved by artists who thought in Greek and Roman terms, so Anubis turns up dressed as a legionary and Medusa guards a pharaonic doorway. The descent by spiral staircase into the half-dark is memorable in itself.

The honest caveats: this is carving in stone rather than bright painting, and if you have just come from the painted tombs of the Valley of the Kings it will feel modest. It's damp below, the bottom level is under water and the signs are brief. If details don't grab you, half an hour is enough.

It works best paired with Pompey's Pillar — same price, same hours, a 10-minute walk apart. Together they make a solid morning of Roman Alexandria.

What to see inside

  • The spiral staircase around a round shaft — bodies were lowered down the middle on ropes while mourners took the stairs.
  • The rotunda, a domed hall on six pillars from which the passages branch out.
  • The triclinium to the left of the rotunda, with rock-cut couches where families feasted at the burial and on anniversaries.
  • The main tomb, with a temple façade: two papyrus columns, a winged sun disc, serpents in Egyptian crowns and Medusa shields.
  • The burial-chamber reliefs: Anubis in Roman dress beside a mummy on a lion-shaped bier, with other Egyptian funerary gods.
  • Galleries of loculi — rows of niches stacked one above another for hundreds of burials.
  • The Hall of Caracalla, an older tomb next door that robbers once broke through to; human and horse bones were found inside.

A short history

Kom el-Shoqafa is an underground burial complex of Roman Alexandria. It was carved in the 2nd century AD, under the Antonine emperors, probably for a single wealthy family, then enlarged until it held around 300 burials. It stayed in use into the 4th century, then was abandoned and forgotten.

It was found again in 1900, when the ground gave way beneath a donkey and the animal tumbled into the shaft. The Arabic name means “mound of shards”, after the heaps of pottery broken at funeral meals. Groundwater has long been the problem here: the ministry ran a project to lower the water table, but the deepest level is still described as flooded.

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Kom el-Shoqafa vs Pompey's Pillar vs Kom el-Dikka

Kom el-Shoqafayou are here2nd-century underground necropolis200 EGP100 EGP16:00, Ramadan 15:00Karmouz≈ 1 h
Pompey's PillarGranite column and Serapeum ruins200 EGP100 EGP16:00, Ramadan 15:00Karmouz, 600 m away≈ 45 min
Kom el-DikkaRoman theatre and excavations downtown200 EGP100 EGP16:00, Ramadan 15:00Downtown, near Saad Zaghloul Square≈ 1 h

If you only have time for one ancient site in Alexandria, make it the catacombs. Pompey's Pillar is an easy add-on next door, and Kom el-Dikka fits on the way back downtown.

Alexandria's historic sites compared

Every historic site in Alexandria rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Citadel of Qaitbay451 h200 EGP, students 100 EGP3.4 km
Bibliotheca Alexandrina451 h 30 min150 EGP, 300 EGP with museums43 min walk
Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque4320 minFree3.0 km
Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafayou are here421 h200 EGP, students 100 EGP—
Roman Amphitheatre (Kom el-Dikka)3845 min200 EGP, students 100 EGP15 min walk
Pompey's Pillar3745 min200 EGP, students 100 EGP16 min walk
Alexandria National Museum361 h 15 min220 EGP, students 110 EGP31 min walk
Royal Jewelry Museum291 h 15 min220 EGP, students 1108.2 km
Montaza Palace and Gardens221 h 30 min≈ 50 EGP, gardens15.5 km

Roman Alexandria in half a day

The pillar and the catacombs in Karmouz, then the Roman theatre downtown and the Library by the sea. YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Pompey's Pillar45 min · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP
  2. 16 min walk from the previous stopCatacombs of Kom el-Shoqafayou are here1 h · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP
  3. 15 min walk from the previous stopRoman Amphitheatre (Kom el-Dikka)45 min · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP
  4. 29 min walk from the previous stopBibliotheca Alexandrina1 h 30 min · 150 EGP, 300 EGP with museums

4 places · about 5 h with walks · 60 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Pompey's Pillar

Alexandria, Egypt

45 min · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP · 16 min walk

Alexandria National Museum

Alexandria, Egypt

1 h 15 min · 220 EGP, students 110 EGP · 31 min walk

Alexandria Corniche

Alexandria, Egypt

1 h · Free · 33 min walk

How to do it right

  • Pair it with Pompey's Pillar: a 10-minute walk, same price, same hours.
  • Not sure of your date? Buy at the gate — online tickets are non-refundable.
  • Shoot without flash and keep a firm grip on your phone over the stairwell shaft.
  • Flat shoes help: the steps are old and sometimes damp.
  • To read the reliefs properly, go with a guide — the signs below ground are brief.
  • Plan an early start: by midday the street above is hot, while it stays cool below.

Questions

How much is the Kom el-Shoqafa ticket?

200 EGP for foreign visitors, 100 EGP for students up to 24 with ID. Children under 6 are free.

What are the Kom el-Shoqafa opening hours?

Daily from 9:00, last entry 16:00 (15:00 in Ramadan). Arrive at least an hour before closing.

How do I get to the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa?

Uber or taxi from downtown, about 15 minutes. From Pompey's Pillar it's a 10-minute walk (about 600 m).

How long do you need at Kom el-Shoqafa?

About an hour for both open levels; half a day with Pompey's Pillar and the journey.

Is Kom el-Shoqafa worth it?

Yes, if Roman Egypt interests you — Egyptian gods in Roman dress are unique. It's carving rather than painting, though, so after Luxor's tombs it can feel plain.

Can you take photos inside?

Yes — phone photos are free under the ministry's rules. Skip the flash.

Can you visit the third level?

No. The lowest level is flooded by groundwater and closed; the upper two are open.

How were the catacombs discovered?

By accident in 1900, when the ground collapsed under a donkey and it fell into the access shaft.

Can I pay by card?

Yes. Visa and Mastercard are accepted online, in the app and at the ticket office.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes; under-6s go free. The stairs are easy, but it's dim and damp below.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egymonuments ticketing: Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs — fares, concessions, hours, rules; Serapeum of Alexandria and Ancient Roman Theatre for comparison; FAQ — payment and refunds
  • English Wikipedia: Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa; Wikidata Q2671839
  • History Hit: Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa
  • CairoScene: Beneath Alexandria Lies a Roman Necropolis in Stone
  • Wikivoyage: Alexandria
  • Showcaves.com: Kom es-Shouqafa
  • Egypt Independent — on the groundwater-lowering project
  • Uber: Alexandria city page
  • OpenStreetMap — coordinates for distances
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 03.11.2026 ·
How we checkedFares, concessions, hours, the “arrive an hour before closing” rule and free phone photos come from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' official ticketing page; payment and refunds from its FAQ. History and layout are checked against at least two sources. Dates differ — Wikipedia and CairoScene say 2nd century AD, Egypt Independent the later 1st century — we use the 2nd century. Several sources say the lowest level is flooded, but whether pumping has cleared it is unclear, so it is marked “verifying”. Depth and step counts vary between sources, so we leave them out. Taxi times are unofficial.

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