It contains a large number of graves, including a mass grave of animal and human remains that is attributed to a mass execution carried out in Alexandria by the Roman Emperor Caracalla in 215 AD.
The tombs are organized around a central spiral staircase that leads down through several levels. The lower levels are flooded, but in the accessible areas, the walls of the tombs are extensively decorated. They display an unusual fusion of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian iconography given the era of their construction.