Kom el Shoqafa catacombs and Pompey's Pillar in Alexandria

Alexandria draws most first-time visitors toward the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, but the city’s older layers sit underground and on a quiet hilltop a short distance away. The catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa and Pompey’s Pillar are two separate monuments that happen to sit close enough together to see in the same short outing, and neither is what its reputation might suggest.

What Kom el Shoqafa actually is

Kom el Shoqafa is a rock-cut burial complex from the Roman period, built when Alexandria was a meeting point of Egyptian, Greek and Roman customs. The tombs descend through several levels carved directly into the bedrock, with stone stairways spiralling down past burial niches. The decoration is the reason people come: Pharaonic-style figures carved in a distinctly Roman technique, alongside Greek architectural details, all in the same chamber. It is a small site to walk through, and visitors who expect a sprawling complex on the scale of a Pharaonic tomb at Saqqara or Dahshur will find it more modest and more compact than its name suggests. That does not make it skippable, but it does mean the time spent inside is short relative to the drive it takes to get there.

The name “Kom el Shoqafa” translates roughly as “mound of shards,” a reference to broken pottery once found scattered around the site, left behind by visitors who brought food and drink for funerary rituals and discarded the containers rather than carry them back up.

What Pompey’s Pillar actually is

Pompey’s Pillar is a single standing granite column, raised on a low hill that was once the site of the Serapeum, a major temple complex in ancient Alexandria. The column itself is the main visible feature above ground; the temple structures that once surrounded it are largely gone, with some underground passages and sphinxes still on view nearby. Despite its name, the pillar has no historical connection to the Roman general Pompey. It honours a much later Roman emperor, and the misattribution to Pompey took hold long after antiquity, repeated by travellers and guidebooks until it became the site’s common name.

Visitors sometimes arrive expecting a monument on the scale of a temple or a large complex. What is actually there is a single tall column standing in an open area, worth a stop for what it represents rather than for the amount of time it takes to see it.

Not the lighthouse, and not the library

Two confusions are worth clearing up before visiting. First, neither Kom el Shoqafa nor Pompey’s Pillar has anything to do with the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse no longer stands. Its former site, on the eastern edge of the harbour, is now occupied by the Citadel of Qaitbay, a separate fortress built centuries later using some of the lighthouse’s fallen stone. Anyone hoping to see lighthouse remains should plan a stop at the citadel, not at the catacombs or the pillar.

Second, neither site is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The modern library, opened in 2002, is a separate institution on the eastern waterfront with its own architecture and exhibitions, worth its own stop on a broader Alexandria itinerary rather than folded into the same short visit as the catacombs and the pillar.

If you only have time for one

Visitors squeezed for time on an Alexandria day trip sometimes ask which of the two is worth prioritising. Kom el Shoqafa carries more historical weight and visual interest: the layered blend of Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles in one tomb is unusual enough that skipping it removes the more memorable half of the outing. Pompey’s Pillar, by contrast, is a brief stop by comparison, a single column that rewards a quick look rather than a long visit. A traveller choosing between the two for lack of time should keep the catacombs and treat the pillar as a bonus only if the schedule allows it, not the other way around. In practice, though, the two sit close enough together that dropping one rarely saves enough time to matter, since most of the day is spent on the road from Cairo rather than at either site.

That said, some visitors on a tightly packed Alexandria day trip built around several stops choose to treat Pompey’s Pillar as optional if the group is running behind schedule, since it adds little beyond what a description already conveys, while Kom el Shoqafa rewards being seen in person for its carved detail.

Where these sites fit in an Alexandria day trip

Both Kom el Shoqafa and Pompey’s Pillar sit in the Karmouz district, on the western side of Alexandria, within a short distance of each other. That proximity is the practical reason they get paired together: a visitor who has already made the roughly three-hour drive from Cairo along the desert road gains little by treating them as two separate outings. Seeing both together, then continuing to other Alexandria stops such as Kom el Shoqafa’s neighbours or the coastal sites further east, makes far better use of a single day than splitting the drive across two trips.

The honest framing here is about proportion. The drive from Cairo runs close to three hours each way, and traffic on the desert road can extend that further depending on the time of day. Walking through the catacombs and standing at the base of the pillar takes a comparatively short slice of the day. That imbalance isn’t a reason to skip either site, but it is a reason to build them into a fuller Alexandria day, alongside the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Citadel of Qaitbay, or a stretch of the Corniche, rather than driving three hours each way for two short stops alone.

Comparing the two sites

Site	What it is	Located	Typical visit length
Kom el Shoqafa	Underground Roman-era rock-cut tombs	Karmouz district	Short, mostly stairs and chambers
Pompey’s Pillar	Single standing granite column on a hilltop	Karmouz district, near the catacombs	Very short, open-air
Citadel of Qaitbay	Fortress on the site of the former lighthouse	Eastern harbour	Separate stop, not covered here
Bibliotheca Alexandrina	Modern library and cultural centre	Eastern waterfront	Separate stop, not covered here

Getting there and getting around

Most visitors reach Alexandria from Cairo by private car or organised tour along the desert road, a route of roughly three hours depending on traffic. Some travellers arrange transport through Cairo Airport Transfers-style private drivers for the day, while others join a fixed-departure excursion. Inside Alexandria, taxis or a pre-arranged driver are the practical way to move between the catacombs, the pillar and any further stops, since the sites are spread across different parts of the city and walking between districts is not realistic in a single day trip.

a multi-day Cairo itinerary that can be built around an Alexandria day trip is one way to fit this into a longer stay, particularly for visitors who want Alexandria alongside Giza, Saqqara and central Cairo without cramming everything into two or three days. For travellers who prefer their day trips arranged with a guide who can point out details easy to miss underground, a tour built around Cairo’s lesser-known sites is worth comparing against a standard group excursion. Those who want a broader overview of Cairo before or after the Alexandria leg can look at a three-day Cairo highlights itinerary, and travellers who enjoy sites with more storytelling than signage often prefer a guided look at some of Cairo’s overlooked corners as a model for how to approach Alexandria’s own quieter monuments.

Best time of day to visit

Both sites are outdoor or semi-outdoor for at least part of the visit, and Alexandria’s coastal climate is milder than Cairo’s but still uncomfortable at midday during the warmer months. Arriving earlier rather than later in the day tends to mean fewer visitors moving through the catacombs’ narrow stairways at once, which matters more here than at larger sites since the underground chambers are not spacious. Tour groups arriving from Cairo on a fixed-departure excursion typically reach Alexandria by mid-morning at the earliest, given the drive time, so travellers arranging their own transport gain an advantage by leaving Cairo before sunrise if avoiding any crowding underground is a priority.

Later afternoon visits mean less direct sun at Pompey’s Pillar, where there is little shade, but by then the return drive to Cairo starts to compete with the day’s remaining time. There is no single correct order; the practical constraint is the same three-hour drive each way regardless of when it happens, so the choice mostly comes down to whether a traveller values a cooler morning at the pillar or a quieter early slot in the catacombs more.

Practical notes for the visit

Wear comfortable shoes for the catacombs, since the descent involves stone stairways that can be uneven and are not lit as brightly as a modern building. The underground chambers are cooler than the surface, a small relief during the hotter months from June to August, though the walk up and down the stairs still takes some effort. At Pompey’s Pillar, there is little shade, so the same summer heat advice applies: visiting earlier in the day is more comfortable than a midday stop.

Photography is generally permitted at both sites, though rules can vary and are worth checking on arrival rather than assumed. Bring cash in Egyptian pounds for any small purchases nearby, since the wider guidance on money and cards in Cairo applies equally in Alexandria: cards are accepted at larger venues, but cash remains useful for smaller vendors and any informal guiding help offered at the site.

The catacombs are not accessible to visitors who cannot manage stone stairways; there is no lift or ramp down to the lower levels, and the spiral stairs are the only way in or out. Pompey’s Pillar, by contrast, sits at ground level on open, mostly flat terrain and is easier to reach for visitors with limited mobility, though the surrounding ground is uneven in places. Travellers planning around mobility needs elsewhere in Egypt may find it useful to read the wider accessible Cairo guide before finalising an Alexandria itinerary, since similar stair-only constraints turn up at several underground and hilltop sites beyond just these two.

Neither Kom el Shoqafa nor Pompey’s Pillar has posted opening hours or entry fees fixed here; check the current schedule and admission through your tour operator or the official channel before travelling, since these details change and a guessed figure is worse than none.

Honest expectations

Both sites carry names that suggest more scale than they deliver. Kom el Shoqafa is a genuinely interesting piece of Alexandria’s layered history, where Egyptian, Greek and Roman traditions sit in the same tomb, but it is a compact underground site, not a sprawling necropolis. Pompey’s Pillar is a single column on a hill, historically significant for what it represents about the vanished Serapeum around it, but visually modest compared to the build-up its name sometimes receives online. Visitors who arrive with those expectations set correctly tend to find both worthwhile; visitors expecting a monument on the scale of the Giza pyramids are likely to be underwhelmed by scale alone.

The real value of the day is less about any single site and more about the combination: an underground Roman necropolis, a lone ancient column, and the fact that both sit within the same city as a fortress that replaced a lost wonder of the ancient world and a modern library that reimagines an ancient one. Together they make a fuller case for Alexandria than either site manages alone.

Frequently asked questions about the catacombs and Pompey’s Pillar

How far is Kom el Shoqafa from Pompey’s Pillar?

The two sites sit close together in the Karmouz district of Alexandria, a short drive or taxi ride apart, which is why most visitors see both in the same outing.

Are the catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa the same as the tombs at Giza or Saqqara?

No. Giza and Saqqara are Pharaonic sites north and south of Cairo. Kom el Shoqafa is a Roman-era underground necropolis in Alexandria, built centuries later and blending Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles.

Is Pompey’s Pillar connected to the general Pompey?

Despite the name, the column has no real link to the Roman general Pompey. It was raised in honour of a later Roman emperor, and the name stuck through medieval and later travellers’ accounts.

Does a visit to Pompey’s Pillar include the lighthouse of Alexandria?

No. The ancient lighthouse no longer exists. Its former site is now occupied by the Citadel of Qaitbay, a separate fort on the coast, not by Pompey’s Pillar.

How much time do the catacombs and the pillar take to visit?

Walking through both sites combined typically takes a small part of a half-day, far less than the roughly three hours each way spent driving from Cairo.

Can Kom el Shoqafa and Pompey’s Pillar be done as a day trip from Cairo?

Yes, as part of a wider Alexandria day trip that also covers other stops, since the road time from Cairo is the main constraint, not the time needed at either site.

Is the Bibliotheca Alexandrina part of the same visit?

It can be, since it’s also in Alexandria, but it’s a separate modern institution with its own layout and is best planned as an additional stop rather than assumed to be next door.

Is Kom el Shoqafa accessible for visitors with mobility issues?

No. The site is reached only by a stone stairway spiralling down to the underground chambers, with no lift or ramp, which makes it unsuitable for wheelchair users or anyone unable to manage several flights of stairs.

Is Pompey’s Pillar worth visiting if you’re short on time?

It’s a short stop rather than a must-see on its own; most visitors see it as a quick add-on after Kom el Shoqafa rather than a separate destination, so it’s the easier of the two to skip if the schedule is tight.