Christian catacombs

In the vicinity of the ancient city, located in the village of Tripiti on the island of Milos, there are burials of the first Christians. It was here that meetings of Christians, religious rites and prayers took place. Persecuted by the persecution of the Gentiles, the believers were forced to hide. The catacombs that became their burial place were hidden from human eyes. Only in the middle of the 19th century was the entrance to the grotto discovered. Archaeologists have established that the catacombs were dug out of volcanic tuff in the first century AD. Inside are three halls connected by continuous circular corridors, forming a kind of labyrinth. Graves are located in the walls and in the floor. Each burial site was formerly illuminated by oil lamps, which today have been replaced by an electrical light. The numbering of the graves told that the Christian catacombs contain the remains of almost two thousand believers. There are both single and family burials. The graves of nobles are distinguished by Christian symbols and epitaphs. Of particular interest to historians is the sarcophagus located in the central chamber. It is considered the burial place of one of the first Christian martyrs. There is a theory that the sarcophagus could be used as an altar during worship.