Sousse Catacombs — Martyrs' Lost Secret

Your journey begins at the entrance to the Catacombs of the Good Shepherd, the subterranean Christian necropolis discovered by Colonel Vincent in 1888. Extending over 1.6 km, with 6,000 burials carved into the walls on several levels, these galleries were laid out from the end of the 1st century to inter Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire. You will observe the loculi, these tombs sealed by tiles or marble slabs bearing the names of the deceased, including a plaque engraved with an image of the Good Shepherd, which gives the site its name. These places also served as sanctuaries and clandestine meeting points during the persecutions of Decius and Diocletian in the 3rd and 4th centuries, testifying to the resilience of Sousse's early communities.

Continuing your exploration of the Catacombs of Sousse, you will reach the Catacombs of Hermes, named after a tomb mosaic where Hermes offers burial to his wife and children. This network is part of a larger complex of 240 galleries spanning 5 km, housing nearly 15,000 Christian burials, a unique archaeological heritage in North Africa. Fully excavated since the 19th century, these catacombs reveal primitive inscriptions and artistic engravings, offering insight into early Christian funerary practices and art in this central-eastern region of Tunisia.

Your path will then lead you to the Catacombs of Severus, also fully excavated in the 19th century and identified by the epitaphs of the deceased bearing this name. Here, tombs were sealed by terracotta bricks or slabs adorned with epitaphs and Christian symbols. Burials in shrouds left imprints in the lime, and terracotta lamps constituted the main funerary furniture. These precise details illustrate the daily life and beliefs of Christians in Hadrumetum, ancient Sousse, during the early centuries AD.

Ascending to the surface, you will find yourself in the heart of the Medina of Sousse, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988, which extends above these underground networks. The catacombs stretch beneath the western part of the medina, with their 15,000 burials dating from the 2nd-4th centuries. The ancient city of Hadrumetum, upon which the medina is built, was transformed into clandestine Christian sanctuaries during Roman persecutions. Nearby, the Ribat of Sousse, built in 859, and the Great Mosque of Sousse, erected at the end of the 9th century, dominate the historic district, serving as visible landmarks and witnesses to the city's evolution over centuries.

Your journey concludes at the Archaeological Museum of Sousse, which preserves most of the engravings and inscriptions discovered in the catacombs, representing the oldest Christian artworks in North Africa. Here you will discover epitaphs, symbols, and mosaics from the excavations of the Catacombs of the Good Shepherd, Hermes, and Severus. This essential collection allows you to synthesize the discoveries made in the field and grasp the extent of Sousse's archaeological heritage, a city whose underground history is as rich as that of its UNESCO-listed medina.