From a spoon used to scoop out corpses’ brains to amulets that protect the dead and statues of the embalming god, this small museum delivers fascinating insights into the art of mummification. While it’s not on the scale of the curated and well-funded Luxor Museum down the street, many will find the Mummification Museum a rewarding way to beat the heat of the day, particularly if you’re walking from the Luxor Temple to the Luxor Museum.
The Mummification Museum sits on the Corniche on Luxor’s East Bank, about a 0.5-mile (800-meter) walk north of Luxor Temple and a 5-minute walk south of the Luxor Museum. Luxor’s informal microbus transportation system is hard to use unless you speak Arabic, so many travelers book a driver or a tour to explore Luxor.
The Mummification Museum is theoretically open every day, from morning until late, but often shuts earlier: Visit before lunch to be sure. The museum’s lecture hall often hosts talks by visiting archaeologists on Sunday evenings during the winter season (roughly December–February). Call ahead to find out the schedule (or ask your guide).
Egyptian museums run from world-class academic institutions to shonky tourist traps. Cairo highlights include the historic Egyptian Museum, the much-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum (scheduled to open in late 2022), the opulent Museum of Islamic Art, and the beautiful Coptic Museum. In Luxor, the modern Luxor Museum provides a perfectly curated and never overwhelming look at ancient Egypt; Aswan’s Nubian Museum showcases the region’s historic culture; the National Museum of Alexandria offers underwater archaeology and more.
