The Mummification Museum is one of the newest in Luxor and the only one of its kind in the world, housing around 150 relics of both human and animal mummies.

The Mummification Museum which opened in May 1997 is the first in the world dedicated to this subject, The Mummification Museum located opposite to El Luxor Hotel (Ex.Mercure Etab) on the Corniche at Luxor.

The modern purpose built museum consists of only one room, but the visitor is guided around well-lit and beautifully displayed exhibits and story boards which describe the process of mummification from beginning to end, as well as the religious customs associated with burials.

The purpose of mummification in ancient Egypt was to preserve the body of the deceased so that they could dwell in the afterlife, in the realm of the gods. The process began naturally when the ancient people discovered that bodies buried in the hot dry sand of Egypt would be preserved almost intact. Techniques were enhanced from very early times, using natron to dry out the body, removing certain organs and wrapping the remains tightly in bandages of linen, often covered with a thick resin. The peak of the art was reached by the end of the New Kingdom Period.

A collection of well-preserved mummy-cases, mostly from the dryer climate of Upper Egypt, is displayed in the entrance to the museum along with a statue of Anubis, the jackal-headed god who leads the dead into the underworld.

The Mummification Museum is open from 9.00am to 1.00pm and 4.00pm to 9.00pm in winter (with different hours in summer).