St Paul's Catacombs

Across Europe in some famous and, let’s face it, some other less famous and downright bizarre venues, you’ll find tourist attractions called ‘dungeons’. There are fake ones in London, Amsterdam even Blackpool, for example, that aim to scare you witless with their spooky tales. They have their place I suppose, but Malta has the real thing! A genuinely scary place -  the St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat!

So, if you want to spend a couple of hours in a proper spooky place, then a visit here is something to go on your agenda. Because while the pretenders overseas merely tell spooky tales, this is a genuine complex of Roman catacombs that incorporates the final resting places for more than 1,000 bodies.

This labyrinth of interconnected, underground Roman cemeteries that hail from the 3rd century AD also represents the earliest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta.

The Catacombs of St Paul derive their name from their proximity to St Paul’s Church and Grotto. They are located in Rabat, on the outskirts of the old Roman capital Mdina, specifically because Roman law prohibited burials within the city.

The site consists of two large areas, littered with more than 30 underground burial chambers, of which the main complex comprises a complex system of interconnected passages and tombs.

The murals found in the catacombs are of significant interest, as they are the only surviving evidence on the Maltese Islands of painting from the late Roman and early medieval periods.

The entrance to the main complex of St Paul’s leads to two large halls, decked out with pillars, which look like Doric columns. The halls are equipped with two circular tables set in a low platform with sloping sides hewn out in one piece from the living rock, which resemble the reclining couch present in Roman houses. These are known as Agape tables and they were most likely used to host commemorative meals during the annual festival of the dead.

The catacombs are thought to have been abandoned during the period of Saracen occupation of the island, when burial customs changed. However, parts of them were put into service again during the re-Christianisation of the island somewhere around the 13th century.

The underground complex was then abandoned again and the site fell into  disrepair until it was cleared and investigated in 1894 by Dr A.A. Caruana - the pioneer of Christian archaeology in Malta.

The catacombs are open from Monday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm and admission is €5, with reduced rates of €3.50 for students and OAPs, €2.50 for children aged 6 to 11 and free for under 6s.

There are good and frequent bus links to Rabat, which is right next door (within easy walking distance) to the former capital of Mdina.

The catacombs are in St Agatha Street, a narrow street running through the town centre and it is well-signposted. If you’re in a car, park near the Domus Romana. It’s about 5 minutes’ walk from here.