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The catacombs of Sousse, Tunisia, are underground galleries that, during the roman era, were used by the city’s Christian community as meeting places and underground burial grounds. The catacombs of Sousse are unique in North Africa, and contain about 15.000 tombs, with engravings that go back to the time when Christians still practiced their faith in clandestinity.
During the first centuries of the Christian era, Christianity was a minority religion and faced persecution. Most early Christians were from the poorest categories of society. As their meetings were illegal, they gathered for worship in the catacombs, underground galleries that had been dug underneath the Roman cities to bury the dead. With time, the Christian community also started burying their dead in the catacombs where the Christians met for worship. These Christian tombs are covered with writings and engravings, a rare glimpse into the artistic expression of a clandestine community.
The catacombs of Hadrumetum, the old city of Sousse, are spread over 5 kilometers underneath the medina of Sousse. The 240 galleries contain close to 15.000 tombs. The symbols and writings engraved on these tombs can be considered as the oldest Christian art in North Africa. Most of those engravings are kept at the Sousse Archaeological Museum.
Three catacombs, out of four that exist, have been entirely excavated. The most famous are the Catacombs of the Good Shepherd, that spread over 1.6 kilometers and contain 6.000 tombs. The tombs are dug into the walls, over several floors.
The catacombs of Sousse had long been lost, until they were discovered in 1888. While they were in a very good state of conservation at the time of their discovery, they quickly eroded since they were excavated, due to the effect of dripping water.
The Catacombs of the Good Shepherd, the only catacombs that used to be open to the public, were closed several years ago for restoration works. As the works were finished recently, it can be hoped that the catacombs will now soon be open for visits again.
