Cartagena Punic Wall

I love anything to do with our past, so planed a trip to Cartagena, about 30 miles south of us, to visit the museum of the Punic Wall and St Joseph's crypt.

The visit started with us being shown into a large room seating 50+ people, we were the only ones in there and enjoyed watching a video in English about the wall and crypt we were about to see.

The Punic Wall was built about 200+ years BC and stood 10 metres high. It was a double wall occupying three floors. The area between the walls was used to house horses on the ground floor, armoury and provisions on the first floor and the top of the floors was used by the men on watch. An amazing fortification around what is now Cartagena. Very little survives but excavations recently uncovered what is now housed in a museum for all to see.

Large sandstone blocks were used to make the double wall

Excavations in 1987 and 2003 uncovered St Joseph's crypt. 

110 wooden coffins were placed in the niches of the crypt. 

It was then decorated with paintings whose theme is Dance of Death.

paintings of skeletons decorate the walls.

Outside the museum, can you see us in the reflection?

At the base of the museum these three people plus Chris seem to be going for a lesson.

I recommend a visit to this museum but it is not for the faint hearted as the floor above the wall is glass, Chris said just close your eyes and walk! Also one of the staircases and platforms is a metal mesh grid, I hate walking on these so another close your eyes moment!!