Catacombs

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Catacombs are ancient, human-made underground passageways or final resting place of reffuges or subterranean cemeteries composed thereof.^[1] Many are under cities and have served during historic times as a refuge for safety during wars^{[citation needed]} or as a meeting place for cults.^[2][3] The first burial galleries to be referred to as catacombs lie beneath San Sebastiano fuori le mura, in Rome. The derivation of the word itself is disputed and it remains unclear if it ultimately derives from the cemetery itself or from the locality in which it is found. There is no doubt however that the San Sebastiano catacombs are the first to be referred to as such.^{[citation needed]}

The word now refers to any network of caves, castles, grottos, or subterranean galleries that were used in medieval times as refuges during wars, as worship places, or for burial of the dead.

Contents 1 Catacombs around the world 1.1 Catacomb decorations 2 Inscriptions 3 Paintings 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Catacombs around the world

Famous examples include:

• Austria – Catacombs of St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna
• Czech Republic – Catacombs of Znojmo
• Egypt – Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa (or Kom al Sukkfa, Shuqafa, etc.) in Alexandria
• England – Catacombs of London
• France – Catacombs of Paris
• Ukraine – Odessa Catacombs
• Ireland – Catacombs of St. Mary's Knockbeg College in Carlow
• Italy – Catacombs of Rome
• Italy – Catacombs of Naples
• Italy – Capuchin catacombs of Palermo
• Malta – Maltese Catacomb Complexes, Rabat^[4]
• Peru – Catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco, Lima
• Scotland – Catacombs of Edinburgh
• Spain – Catacombs of Sacromonte in Granada

There are also catacomb-like burial chambers in Anatolia, Turkey; in Sousse, North Africa; in Naples, Italy; in Syracuse, Italy; Trier, Germany; Kiev. Capuchin catacombs of Palermo, Sicily were used as late as 1920s. Catacombs were popular in England in the 19th Century, and can be seen in many of the grand cemeteries of the time, such as Sheffield General Cemetery. There are catacombs in Bulgaria near Aladzha Monastery^{[citation needed]} and in Romania as medieval underground galleries in Bucharest.^[5]

In Ukraine and Russia, catacomb (used in the local languages' plural katakomby) also refers to the network of abandoned caves and tunnels earlier used to mine stone, especially limestone. Such catacombs are situated in Crimea and the Black Sea coast of these two countries. The most famous are Odessa Catacombs and Ajimushkay, Crimea, Ukraine. In the early days of Christianity, believers conducted secret worship services in these burial caves for safety and reverence for the dead. Later, they served as bases for Soviet World War II guerrillas (see also Great Patriotic War). Ajimushkay catacombs hosted about 10,000 fighters and refugees. Many of them died and were buried there, and memorials and museums were later established (it is now a territory of Kerch city).

[edit] Catacomb decorations

Catacombs although most notable for the underground passage ways and cemeteries are also the home of many decorations. There are thousands of decorations in the centuries old catacombs of Rome, catacombs of Paris, and other known and unknown catacombs, some of which include inscriptions, paintings and statues among other things such as ornaments which were placed in the graves over the years. Most of these decorations were used to identify, immortalize, and to show respect to the dead.

[edit] Inscriptions

Although thousands of inscriptions were lost as time past, they still serve as an indication of the social rank or the job title of its inhabitants; most of the inscriptions simply indicate how loving a couple was, or the love of parents and such.

[edit] Paintings

Paintings can also be seen throughout the burial chambers on the walls and ceilings. The paintings conveyed the same ideas as the inscriptions found throughout the catacombs.

[edit] See also

• Crypt
• Cemetery
• Urban exploration
• The Cask of Amontillado

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Catacombs of Naples
• The Catacombs of Paris
• The Catacombs of Saint Sebastian
• Catacombs
• The Catacombs of Saint Callist
• Subterranean Britannica