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Mummification Museum: Unlocking the Ancient Secrets of the Afterlife

Ever wondered how the Egyptians made a mummy? This is your answer. The Mummification Museum in Luxor is a modern, air-conditioned "hidden gem" that explains the entire sacred process. See the real tools (like the brain hook!), canopic jars, mummified animals (cats, crocodiles), and the mummy of a High Priest. It's the perfect 1-hour stop on your East Bank tour, located right by Luxor Temple.

EFT Team
August 24, 2021
Updated: November 9, 2025

You’ve seen the golden masks, the colossal statues, and the royal mummies in Cairo. But have you ever stopped to wonder… how? How did the ancient Egyptians really make a mummy? What tools did they use? What was the 70-day-long sacred process? Welcome to the Luxor Mummification Museum, the “hidden gem” of the East Bank. This is not a vast, overwhelming museum; it’s a small, modern, and perfectly focused museum dedicated to answering that one fascinating question. It is the perfect, air-conditioned stop on your Luxor tour.

Why Visit the Mummification Museum? The “Hidden Gem” Advantage

This is one of the best-kept secrets on the Luxor Corniche, and it’s a “must-add” for three simple reasons:

It Answers the “How?” The Egyptian Museum in Cairo has the treasures. This museum has the process. In one quick visit, you will finally understand the “how-to” of mummification, from the first incision to the final wrapped linen.
It’s a Perfect, Air-Conditioned Escape: This is a huge pro! Luxor is hot, and the temples are vast. The Mummification Museum is a modern, dark, and beautifully air-conditioned building. It is the perfect 1-hour break to escape the midday sun.
It’s Never Crowded: As a “hidden gem,” it’s almost always quiet. You can explore in peace and get up close to the exhibits without a single crowd, which is a rare treat in Luxor.

What You Will See: The “How-To” Guide to the Afterlife

The museum’s layout is brilliant. It guides you step-by-step through the mummification process. Your Egypt Fun Tours guide will bring the exhibits to life, but here is what you can’t miss.

1. The “Gruesome” Tools of the Trade

This is the most fascinating part for many. You will see the actual, 3,000-year-old tools used by the embalmers, including:

The long, bronze brain hook (used to pull the brain out through the nose).
The sharp obsidian knives for making the incision in the abdomen.
Spatulas, funnels, and spoons used for handling the oils and resins.

2. The Sacred Canopic Jars

You’ll see a pristine set of Canopic Jars. Your guide will explain how these were the sacred vessels used to store the four main organs: the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines, each one protected by one of the “Four Sons of Horus.”

3. The Animal Mummies (A Surprising Highlight)

This is a visitor favorite. The museum has a stunning collection of mummified animals. This shows how the Egyptians worshipped their gods, who were represented by these creatures. You will see:

A mummified cat
A mummified baboon
A mummified ram
A massive, mummified crocodile, dedicated to the god Sobek.

4. The Human Mummy: The High Priest

The centerpiece of the museum is the beautifully wrapped mummy of Maserharti, a High Priest of Amun from the 21st Dynasty. He is displayed in his original, nested sarcophagus.

5. The “Extras” for the Afterlife

The museum also shows what else was needed for the journey, including model funeral boats (to carry the deceased in the afterlife) and small, magical shabti dolls—servants who would come to life and do the hard labor for the deceased in paradise.

How to Visit with Egypt Fun Tours

The Mummification Museum is perfectly located and incredibly easy to add to your tour.

Location: It’s right on the East Bank Corniche (the main road along the Nile), about halfway between Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple.
How Long: A visit is a perfect, bite-sized 45 minutes to 1 hour.
The Perfect Combination: This is the ultimate “tour-enhancer.”
- Option 1: We can visit it after a long, hot morning at Karnak Temple. It’s the perfect, cool-down stop before lunch.
- Option 2: We can visit it in the late afternoon, just before heading to Luxor Temple for your evening visit.

Let us handle the tickets. You just enjoy the cool air and the fascinating, and slightly gruesome, secrets of the ancient embalmers.

Contact Us to Add This “Hidden Gem” to Your Luxor Tour!

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