Golden Mummies Museum


Only 10 of Bahariya's richly decorated cache of 10,000 mummies are exhibited here. While the motifs are formulaic and the work is second-rate, the painted faces show a move away from stylised Pharaonic mummy decoration towards Fayoum portraiture. Underneath the wrappings, the embalmers' work appears to have been sloppy, so these mummies mark the beginning of the end of mummification.

The exhibit embodies that spirit and is entirely underwhelming. The museum doesn't have a sign. Look for the building resembling a wartime bunker behind a low cream-coloured wall topped with guard turrets. The ticket office (for all of Bawiti's sites) is just inside the entrance gate.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Tomb of Zed Amun Ef Ankh

0.19 MILES

The rock-cut Tomb of Zed Amun Ef Ankh is a fascinating glimpse of Bahariya in its heyday. It appears that Zed Amun Ef Ankh was not a government official…

2. Qarat Qasr Salim

0.19 MILES

This small mound amid the houses of Bawiti is likely built upon centuries of debris. There are two well-preserved 26th-dynasty tombs here, which were…

3. Tomb of Bannentiu

0.19 MILES

Consisting of a four-columned burial chamber with an inner sanctuary, this tomb is covered in fine reliefs depicting Bannentiu in various positions with…

4. Bir Al Ramla

0.37 MILES

The sulphurous spring of Bir Al Ramla, 3km north of town, is very hot (45°C) and suitable for a soak, though you may feel a bit exposed to the donkey…

5. Oasis Heritage Museum

0.95 MILES

The giant sandcastle-looking-thing, 3km east of town on the road to Cairo, is Mahmoud Eed’s Oasis Heritage Museum. Inspired by Badr’s Museum in Farafra,…

6. Qarat Al Hilwa

1.3 MILES

This ancient necropolis includes the 18th-dynasty Tomb of Amenhotep Huy. Overall it's a rather uninspiring site that will only interest the most avid of…

7. Temple of Ain Al Muftella

1.42 MILES

Four 26th-dynasty chapels, approximately 2km northwest of Bawiti, together form the Temple of Ain Al Muftella. The bulk of the building was ordered by…

8. Bir Al Mattar

1.5 MILES

At Bir Al Mattar, 7km northeast of Bawiti, cold springs pour into a viaduct and then down into a concrete pool, which you can splash in during the hot…