St. Paul’s Catacombs in Malta, the world beyond death
Hello everyone
In today's post I would like to share with you a place that may seem strange to some, but to others very interesting.
For example I love exploring such strange places but with a fantastic history so today we are going to visit the Catacombs of St Paul in Malta.
Many of you may have heard of Malta and especially its capital Valletta (the smallest capital in Europe) and even though it is a small country it has dreamy landscapes, amazing history and is composed of several islands of which the most famous are Gozo and Comino.
Unfortunately when I visited Malta I didn't have enough time to visit these islands.
I visited Malta at the beginning of December 2022, so I could see that the climate is friendly even if it was winter in Romania.
I remember walking through the narrow streets of the old capital of Malta (Mdina) and at one point I found information about this place on the internet.
I have to admit that we thought a little late to visit this place, it was somewhere around 3:30pm in the afternoon, so we quickly called an uber that took us to our destination in just a few minutes.
Since the entrance I was amazed by the architecture of the place, honestly I didn't even know what to expect from an underground cemetery, until now I had the opportunity to visit another underground cemetery in Paris.
The staff here was very professional and in just a few minutes we were able to purchase tickets and start exploring the place.
The price of a ticket is 6 euros and the visiting hours are from 10 am to 6 pm.
After a few steps we discovered the museum here but also an uncovered tomb where we could observe besides very old pottery and human remains, from what I read in those times there were several ways to be buried.
From that room I went outside where I saw some strange buildings with an interesting architecture, on each building I saw that a number was written and in front of those buildings was an information panel.
Reading the information on these information boards I found out that those buildings were actually the entrance to underground cemeteries, automatically my attention was drawn to exploring the underworld.
If you are a bit more careful you will notice that on some of the panels you will find written "Must See", certainly these cemeteries are the most spectacular, and if somehow you are claustrophobic my advice is not to go inside.
Let's explore together the underground world of these cemeteries.
Ever since the first underground cemetery I had the feeling that there is a city down there, many rooms, corridors that I suspect are very long, moreover I think these places communicate with each other through these secret corridors.
St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat are Roman burial grounds dating back to the 3rd century BC.
It is believed they were in use up until the 7th century AD.
They contain around 30 hypogea or tombs. Later, they were used by Christians first in secret when under persecution and later as a shrine. The catacombs are a fascinating network of tunnels and chambers that offer an insight into cultures that helped to shape Malta as we know it today.
Why Visit St. Paul’s Catacombs?
Explore over 2000 square meters of catacombs created by the Romans to bury their dead. The St. Paul’s Catacombs are believed to have housed over 1000 bodies and human remains can still be seen. This is the largest Roman burial site in Malta.
Gain an understanding of how the catacombs were adapted as Christianity became more widespread and the dominant religion of the island. The catacombs represent the earliest evidence of Christianity in Malta.
Understand the ancient history of Malta and the rituals and customs of the Romans
Visit the attached museum to see more historic relics.
If you happen to be in Malta I recommend you to visit this place, the feeling of being there under the ground is unique and really worth the experience.
THE END
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P.S. The attached pictures you have just seen are taken by me with my mobile phone, and the text is also designed by me.
Yours 