Mummification Museum

Mummification Museum Review

The Egyptian Antiquities Museum in Cairo has an entire section devoted to mummification, but a visit to this museum is worth the detour if you didn't have the opportunity to see the exhibits in Cairo. The exhibits here are intelligently designed and include the most important elements of the mummification rituals. And the slightly macabre atmosphere is perfect for the subject. The museum is divided into two parts: the first explains, with modern drawings based on ancient Egyptian reliefs and wall paintings, the stages the deceased goes through during mummification, as well as his journey toward heaven. To complement the scenes, a mummy is exposed at the end of the first section. After this introduction, the actual display of artifacts begins. There are tools, canopic jars, painted sarcophagi, and products used during the mummification process. There are also mummified animals, among them a baboon, a crocodile, a ram, a cat, and an ibis. The thrill here comes from the mummified animals—and the split human head, postmummification. The museum is 200 yards north of the Temple of Luxor, on the opposite side of the road, below street level.