Salina Catacombs
Encyclopedia
The Salina Catacombs are a cluster of small catacombs
located near the Church of the Annunciation in Salina
, Naxxar
, in Malta
. Although small when compared to the catacombs of St. Paul
and St. Agatha in Rabat, they are an important record of the sizeable community that must have lived in the area in around the last half of the first millennium AD.
The catacombs open on to a low ridge facing a now lost Roman harbour, making the small site archaeologically important.
The site is managed by Heritage Malta
and is closed to the public for conservation.
cut into the vertical surface of a small quarry. A number of other openings can be seen in rocky outcrops around the site and at least one hypogeum has been damaged by further quarrying, resulting in the destruction of a number of burials.
The most impressive hypogeum is adorned with two decorated pillars, an agape table and two baldacchino
tombs, rarely found outside the catacombs of Rabat
. The window tombs that surround the agape table suggest that it was an important feature of the catacomb. At least two of the window tombs are lavishly decorated with reliefs
depicting palm fronds and other spiraled patterns. The palm fronds, together with a number of incised crosses, are proof of the Christian
origins of the burial site.
Catacombs
Catacombs, human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place can be described as a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman empire...
located near the Church of the Annunciation in Salina
Salina
-Places:Italy*Salina, Sicily, the second largest of the Aeolian IslandsMalta*Salina, MaltaUnited States*Salina, Kansas*Salina, New York*Salina, Oklahoma*Salina, Pennsylvania*Salina, Utah...
, Naxxar
Naxxar
Naxxar is a village in the central north of Malta, with a population of about 13,647 people . The Naxxar Church is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories. The feast is celebrated on September 8...
, in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. Although small when compared to the catacombs of St. Paul
St. Paul's Catacombs
St. Paul’s Catacombs are some of the most prominent features of Malta’s paleochristian archaeology. The archaeological clearing of the site has revealed an extensive system of underground galleries and tombs dated from the fourth to the ninth centuries AD....
and St. Agatha in Rabat, they are an important record of the sizeable community that must have lived in the area in around the last half of the first millennium AD.
The catacombs open on to a low ridge facing a now lost Roman harbour, making the small site archaeologically important.
The site is managed by Heritage Malta
Heritage Malta
Heritage Malta is the Maltese national agency for museums, conservation practice and cultural heritage. Created by the Cultural Heritage Act, enacted in 2002, the national agency replaced the former Museums Department....
and is closed to the public for conservation.
Description
The site comprises five hypogeaHypogeum
Hypogeum or hypogaeum literally means "underground", from Greek hypo and gaia . It usually refers to an underground, non-Christian temple or a tomb...
cut into the vertical surface of a small quarry. A number of other openings can be seen in rocky outcrops around the site and at least one hypogeum has been damaged by further quarrying, resulting in the destruction of a number of burials.
The most impressive hypogeum is adorned with two decorated pillars, an agape table and two baldacchino
Baldachin
A baldachin, or baldaquin , is a canopy of state over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in cathedrals, where such a structure is more correctly called a ciborium when it is...
tombs, rarely found outside the catacombs of Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
. The window tombs that surround the agape table suggest that it was an important feature of the catacomb. At least two of the window tombs are lavishly decorated with reliefs
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
depicting palm fronds and other spiraled patterns. The palm fronds, together with a number of incised crosses, are proof of the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
origins of the burial site.