Dear Classical Kids,
Today Owly will take you to a special spot, hidden beneath the busy city of Alexandria in Egypt. There lies a mysterious and ancient place called the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. The name might sound a little tricky, but it means “Mound of Shards” because people used to leave broken pottery outside the tombs long ago. These catacombs were built almost 2,000 years ago, around the 2nd century AD, and they are one of the most fascinating underground burial sites in the world!
What makes the Catacombs so cool is that they mix together styles from three different cultures: Egyptian, Greek, and Roman. That’s right — it’s like a history sandwich! You can see statues and carvings of Egyptian gods, like Anubis, the jackal-headed god of the dead, but he’s dressed like a Roman soldier.
There are also fancy Greek-style columns and decorations. This mix of styles shows how people in Alexandria lived together and shared ideas from their different backgrounds.
The catacombs go down three levels underground (though the lowest is flooded today). The walls are filled with carvings and sculptures, and there’s even a big circular room called the rotunda, where families would gather to honor their loved ones. Another interesting area is the triclinium, a Roman-style dining room where people would have feasts to remember the dead. Can you imagine eating with mummies?
Game Idea from Owly!
Make cards showing Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art or symbols. Mix them up, and kids have to match which one belongs to which culture. This helps kids see the different styles found in the catacombs. You can print out this or use this collection of ancient symbols for inspiration:
Frida will write soon with more cool facts and history from Alexandria, Egypt! There are some really, really famous tombs here, some of which are still great mysteries… Can you guess who is buried in Alexandria?
Stay tuned!
All the best,
Anya & Frida
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