Building - St Paul’s Catacombs
St Paul’s Catacombs
The St. Paul’s area consists of the hypogea made in the Phoenician-Punic time.
These catacombs owe their name to the fact that they were connected to St. Paul’s Grotto and are the largest catacomb complex in Malta.
The origin of the catacombs date from the Phoenician-Punic time about 700 till 550 BC. In the Maltese language there are still words from that era.
The Phoenicians made graves outside their fortress. The rule of the Roman law prohibited the burying of persons within the city. Therefore these catacombs are situated outside the city of Melita ( present Mdina ). The catacombs are proof of early Christianity in Malta.
The area covers more than 2000 square metres and includes catacombs of St. Paul, San Katald, Saint Agatha and St. Augustine.
Via two big halls decorated with pillars and murals, one has access to the catacombs of St. Paul. The murals are hardly visible anymore.
Over time the burial chambers became larger and had a regular form, which eventually resulted in making smaller catacombs in Rabat in the 4th century AD.
During the Saraceen period the complex has been looted and fell into disrepair. Around the 13th century the catacombs were reused again. After a short period the catacombs were not used and fell into disrepair.
St. Paul’s and St. Agatha Catacombs are open to the public.
We have set up a separate page on the St. Agatha catacombs, the St Paul's Grotto and St Paul’s Catacombs.
Opening hours | Daily 10:00 - 18:00 |
Last admission | Advice 30 minutes before closing |
Closed | |
Ticket / admission fee | |
Adults (18-59 yrs) | € 6.00 |
Youths (12-17 yrs) | € 4.50 |
| Infants (1-5 yrs) | Free |
Seniors Citizens (60+ yrs) | € 5.00 |
Concessions and Students | € 4.50 |
| Family Pack (2 Adults and 2 children under 13 yrs) | € 2.00 |
| The Rabat combo Ticket gives access to the Romvs Romana, the National Museum of Natural History and St. Paul's Catacombs | |
Address and street / location can be found on our map, click on Guide in the menu bar and you will get a map with markers. | |
Latest news and original website of the attraction / spot / advent | |
Additional information
This St. Paul's Catacombs page is part of “The Malta Magazine”.
This magazine is for every resident and visitor to the country of Malta. But is also educational and for anyone interested in Malta. The Malta Magazine highlights the past and present of specific subjects and/or places of interest with the help of extensive information and photos.
As a tool during your journey of discovery through Malta, you can use our information services free of charge. You can do this in two ways, via our website https://maltaguide.pro or our app depending on your operating system, Google Play or Apple Store. Both give you the same information.
“The Malta magazine” is the best, ultimate and most comprehensive magazine you can get of Malta.
The magazine is growing fast and will soon contain more than 350 interesting topics.
Find and discover interesting sights and discover the many historical secrets of the country Malta. Find all things to do and places of interest in your exploration.
“The Malta magazine” is also convenient whether you are walking, driving a car, or using the hop-on and hop-off bus trip, boat trip, etc.
“The Malta magazine” provides you with general information about the sights, Malta’s beauty, secrets, history and culture, its architecture, fortifications, etcetera and specific information as: what took place here?; When was it built and by whom?; What are the functions of all these.
“The Malta magazine” describes also religious subjects, museums, parks, places of interest, public toilets and much more useful information. Interesting texts set up by local experts and additional informative photos make this app distinctive.
“The Malta magazine” answers many questions and shows in an easy way to navigate way where the sights are located. A great landmap and citymap made specifically for you, is a great tool. You can immediately see where you are and where the sights are.
In this "Malta Magazine" you will find the location, address, opening hours and admission / entrance fee, general additional information and news about the spot.
Everything in “The Malta magazine” is easy to operate, without any knowledge and suitable for young and old.
“The Malta magazine” is free while you normally would pay for a guided tour, you may enjoy navigating through Malta on your own terms.
“The Malta magazine” is constantly maintained about: attractions which are closed due to renovation, changed entrance fees or opening times, etc. This maintenance costs a lot of money. However, it has been decided not to include annoying advertisements. The “The Malta magazine” has no hidden costs.
The skillfielly texts are written by local experts and additional informative photos make “The Malta magazine” information provision distinctive.