St. Agatha's Crypt, Catacombs & Museum

These catacombs are long and narrow with rock-cut tombs on each side and vaults. Some of the tombs are decorated with reliefs and frescoes depicting Christian messages. Dating from the 2nd and 3rd century AD, there are around 500 graves of different types, and for different people, including children, pagans and Jews and Christians. There are cases of double tombs, seperated by thin walls, and up to five persons were buried in the same grave.

Most graves have head rest, a sort of rock pillow. In each grave there is a semicircular cavity where the head of the deceased person is rested in its position. The Agape Table, (love table)  hewn out of rock, was used to celbrate the final meal.

Unique tomb feature include the saddle-shaped canopied table grave. The upper part of the tomb is like saddle, which was either cut from the same rock or was placed when the internment took place. The canopy is supported by four pillars ending in arches on the four sides. At the back of each pillar, on the internal side of the tomb, there are horn like pillars as a decoration. Another type of grave is the baldacchino grave, canopied table tomb with four pillars. After funeral celebration  was over and the grave sealed with stone slabs the tomb formed a table, hence its name. The arcosolium at the entrance of the tomb has an arch and a sill, while the back of the arch is a sort of half a dome.  3rd century frescos depict various Christian symbols; the Greek letter R (rho and C (chi) the cross,  doves and scallop shells is  red, ochre, dark green, yellow and pale yellow.