One of the most curious aspects of life and religion in Ancient Egypt was the special treatment given to animals. At least, to some of them, which were considered sacred. Whether you’re an animal lover or not, you’ll find it interesting to know where to see animal mummies in Egypt, as there are many and varied ones on display in different destinations across the country.
Why Did Egyptians Mummify Animals?
Animals, from the very emergence of ancient Egyptian civilization, have been part of their rites and religion. In reality, only some specimens were considered sacred in themselves, that is, worthy of being objects of worship and special care. For example, the god bull Apis, which embodied the god Ptah-Osiris by meeting a series of very specific characteristics: it was sought throughout the kingdom and worshipped in life in Memphis, with a harem of cows next to it.
On the other hand, most animals that were part of the ancient Egyptian religion did so as offerings to the gods. In fact, these gods were often represented with features of certain animals because they were associated with qualities present in them. For example, the god Anubis, protector of tombs, was represented with canine features, as a guardian.
Therefore, certain animals were usually sacrificed to be mummified later and offered to the gods in the form of a mummy. And it is known that they were sold for this purpose outside some temples, something that proliferated especially during the Late Period.
Where to See Animal Mummies in Egypt
For all these reasons, many animal mummies are recovered in archaeological excavations. And there are also many museums and visitable spaces that have among their attractions the exhibition of a wide variety of animal mummies. Below we list some of them.
Crocodile Museum, in Kom Ombo
In Upper Egypt, near Aswan, is the city of Kom Ombo, whose temple was one of the great places of worship of the god Sobek, of fertility and vegetation, represented with crocodile features. Therefore, countless offerings of these mummified reptiles were made here, which has served to create a museum next to the temple that reviews this tradition and, of course, exhibits some of the most spectacular specimens. This is a regular stop on our Nile cruises.
Egyptian Museum in Cairo
This museum, which is considered an institution in terms of knowledge and dissemination of Ancient Egypt, has an exhibition section dedicated to animal mummies. Therefore, the interesting thing here is to see the variety of creatures that were subjected to this treatment: birds, cats, dogs, monkeys and many more, some of them very ancient and in a very good state of preservation.
Mummification Museum in Luxor
In Luxor, where one of the capitals of Ancient Egypt (Thebes) was located, there is a museum entirely dedicated to the mummification process. And for this reason, there are not only human specimens, but also animals, including a cat, symbol of the goddess Bastet, and a ram, of the god Khnum. Here, in addition, you can learn what the step-by-step process was, from the extraction of organs to the wrapping of the body.
These are just some interesting examples, but there are many more. And in some destinations, although there may not be animal mummies as such, this ritual is evoked, as in the Serapeum of Saqqara, which was probably the most sacred animal necropolis of all.
