This underground necropolis was created towards the end of the first century by Christians to bury their dead during periods of persecution. The Sousse catacombs are formed of galleries stretching over 5 kilometres and containing no les than 15.000 graves.

The tombs were dug into the walls of the galleries on two or three levels. One notes the presence of niches at more or less regular intervals along the wall. They used to contain the oil lamps whose dim light used to light the labyrinth.

The Catacombs were used as a clandestine cemetery but also as a place of worship and a refuge for the first Christian faithful until the end of the IVth century. They also contained many sacred artefacts that are now displayed in the Sousse museum: epitaphs, marble carved with sacred symbols (fish, doves, the Good Shepherd etc.)