St Agatha's Catacombs

Archaeological Site

Archaeological Site · Rabat, Malta 35.8807°N 14.3968°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on St Agatha's Catacombs

Time needed

60 to 90 minCrypt, catacombs, museum

Best time

Weekday afternoonFewer tour groups

Access

Short walkFrom Rabat's main square

Opening hours

What are the opening hours of St Agatha's Catacombs?

St Agatha's opens Monday to Saturday and is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Weekday hours run into the afternoon and Saturday is a shorter day; the times posted at the complex are the ones to follow.

Tour length

How long does the tour take?

The guided tour of the crypt and catacombs lasts about 15 to 20 minutes. Time in the museum comes on top of that, so allow longer for the whole complex.

Both catacombs

Is it worth visiting both St Paul's and St Agatha's Catacombs?

The two fit one outing: they are about five minutes' walk apart and show different things. St Paul's is the largest network open to visitors, a maze of passages and tomb niches. St Agatha's adds a frescoed crypt tied to a local saint, plus a museum. The two are ticketed and entered separately.

Museum

What is in the museum at St Agatha's?

The main hall shows artefacts from Egypt, a mummified crocodile from the Nile, and pottery and glass found in St Agatha's catacombs. Another room holds religious paintings, coins and medals, and the original alabaster statue of St Agatha.

Crypt frescoes

What frescoes are in St Agatha's Crypt?

The crypt holds 30 images of saints, 13 of them St Agatha. The oldest frescoes date to the 12th century in Byzantine style, and the others, in Greek style, to 1480.

Fossils and gems

Are there fossils and minerals at St Agatha's Museum?

Yes. Prehistoric remains, including hippopotamus bones and sharks' teeth, are shown at the entrance. A large collection of minerals and gems from around the world lines the stairs to the next floor.

At this Rabat complex you see the crypt where, by local tradition, the Sicilian martyr St Agatha hid from persecution, its walls covered in medieval frescoes, with catacombs and a museum alongside.

What makes it special

St Agatha's is three linked sites in one complex: the crypt of St Agatha, a network of catacombs and a museum. The complex also takes in a working church, and a chapel adjoins the museum.

The crypt is the reason to come. It is hewn from the live rock, and its walls carry paintings from several periods. Tradition holds that Agatha took refuge here when it was still a small natural cave.

The catacombs hold over 500 graves of several types, most of them for children. Between them you pass agape tables, the communal tables used for ritual funeral meals.

One chamber, the Sancta Sanctorum, shows 3rd-century frescoes, among them a cross and other Christian symbols.

Visiting

St Agatha Street, where the complex stands, is a short walk from Rabat's main square and about five minutes on foot from St Paul's Catacombs, so the two fit one outing. Buses run often to Rabat from Valletta and Sliema.

Visitors report that the crypt and the catacombs are seen only with a guide, and that photography is not allowed inside. The museum is part of the same visit to the complex: look for the room of chalices and the tiny bibles that need a microscope to read. For questions or appointments, the complex takes calls on +356 2145 4503.