Necropolises and Catacombs to visit Malta

The Saint-Paul catacomb complex comprises a large part of the main cemetery of the ancient city of Melite. As such, the site comprises a multi-level cemetery, with remains dating from Punic, Roman and Byzantine times, and which may have been in uninterrupted use for over a millennium, between the ^4th century BC and the ^8th century AD. The complex covers more than 2,000 m², and the highlight of the site are the 24 catacombs and hypogeums, which were used mainly in Late Antique and Byzantine times. These small underground tombs offer examples of intimate hypogeum burials and feature elements that are unique in the world, such as certain types of tomb and the triclinia cut into the rock, reminiscent of the sigma tables in Roman dining rooms, suggesting that they were used for commemorative meals.
Rediscovered and studied in the ^19th century, these hypogeums invite visitors to explore ancient burial customs and an important chapter in Malta's historical narrative. Part of the catacombs was reused during the re-Christianization of the island, around the ^13th century, when an open space was redeveloped and used as a Christian sanctuary decorated with murals. The site was excavated and studied in 1894 by Dr. A.A. Caruana, the pioneer of Christian-era archaeology in Malta.

Dating from the 3rd and 4th centuries, these catacombs have still not been fully excavated. However, excavations carried out in the 1990s indicate that they were used as a cemetery for a group of Christians living in the first centuries of the Christian era. In the Xarolla complex, the window tomb is the most common format. It is estimated that most of the tombs date from the Late Roman or Byzantine period.

This complex is considered to be the most important Paleochristian funerary complex outside the Rabat region. These hypogea were first recorded in the late 1800s, but were only studied in 1933 by Captain Charles Zammit. Further studies were carried out in 2004, 2013 and 2014, and the site was opened to the public in 2015. It is 90 metres long and comprises 57 tombs in 16 chambers. An orientation center and audio guide help visitors to organize their visit.