Anfushi Tombs

A small group of Hellenistic-era rock-cut tombs on the Anfushi peninsula in Bahary, less visited than the more dramatic Kom el-Shoqafa but historically just as important. The tombs date to the 3rd-2nd century BC and contain unusually well-preserved painted decoration — geometric panels, mythological scenes, and trompe-l'œil rendering of the marble that the actual tombs could not afford.

The site is small — you can see it in 30-45 minutes — and rarely has more than a handful of visitors. Easy to combine with Qaitbay Citadel and a walk through Bahary on the same morning. Open daily; modest entry fee; bring small change for the guard, who occasionally gives unofficial explanations in broken English.

things to do sight bahary
A story
The Anfushi tombs are roughly contemporary with Kom el-Shoqafa but in a different style — Ptolemaic Greek with Egyptian motifs painted onto the walls, rather than carved in relief. They are among the earliest examples in art history of trompe-l'œil painting: walls are decorated to look like blocks of inlaid marble, with the 'inlay' picked out in red and white paint.