Holy ram with golden mask rests in Egypt’s Mummification Museum

CAIRO – 2 June 2022: Egyptian museums contain millions of rare artifacts from  various ancient Egyptian eras. Each piece narrates a story that is thousands of years old.

Among these pieces is the mummy of a ram, which is displayed in the Mummification Museum in Luxor. The ram’s mummy is covered with linen and wears a mask of cardboard with a gilded face.

Rams in ancient Egypt were a symbol of the deity Khnum, who was believed to shape every child on a potter's wheel, and his center of worship was the island of Elephantine. The ancient Egyptians revered the spirit inherent in animals and not the animals themselves.

Moreover, Rams in ancient Egypt were viewed with holiness, appreciation and reverence, and were considered a symbol of fertility, virility and the ability to procreate and develop. Therefore, rams were of great importance in ancient Egypt.

Furthermore, Rams have been depicted as sacred animals since prehistoric times, and appeared on the kohl bowls and pottery of the pre-dynastic era. Since then and for many subsequent periods, amulets were formed as rams.

The Mummification Museum is located on the Nile Corniche, north of Luxor Temple. It was opened in 1997, and is one of the most important museums in Egypt, dedicated to the art of ancient Egyptian mummification.