ancient Egyptians; They gave great importance to animals and respected both domestic and wild animals. There are various symbols, statues and mummies that explain the importance of animals in Egyptian history. In Egypt, where the art of mummification was highly developed, not only humans but also animals were mummified. During the archaeological work carried out in Minya, Egypt, a burial ground for mummified animals was discovered in an area surrounded by mountains. There are hundreds of mummified animal graves in the cemetery located in the Danube el-Jebel region.
There are sacred temple baboon and ibis bird tombs in the cemetery from the pharaonic era. The mummies in the cemetery, known as the “City of the Dead”, reveal an extremely interesting image. According to the information on the official website of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism; The animals in the cemetery were first mummified and then buried in the underground tombs carved into the rock. The catacombs were discovered in 1932 by the Egyptian archaeologist, Sami Cebera. It is estimated that the cemetery was built between 350 and 300 BC. The oldest section in the cemetery, which consists of four separate sections, dates back to the 26th Pharaoh dynasty.
The Reason for Mummification of Animals
Each mummy in the cemetery has its own unique story. The names of the mummies, their types, causes of death and the names of their owners are described carved into the rocks. In the cemetery, the mummies of the temple baboon (monkey) and the ibis bird, which are considered sacred, are concentrated. It was believed that these animals would be resurrected after death. At that time, the penalty for killing these animals was death.
Even though thousands of years have passed, the mummies, which have preserved their splendor of the first day, make the visitors feel like they are watching them. After the discovery of the cemetery, excavation work was carried out between 1932 and 1952 with the support of Cairo University, which lasted about 20 years. In addition to the animal cemetery, 39 separate cemeteries dating back to the 4th century BC and the 2nd century AD were found in the region.
Sacred Animals in Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, cats and dogs were kept as domestic pets as they are today. Dogs have an important place in hunting as well as guarding houses. Cats, on the other hand, were given special importance and believed to be spiritual guardians protecting the home. Killing the cat was seen as a crime, and the person who killed it was given a heavy punishment in front of the audience. At the same time, when a cat died, it was mourned and the owner shaved his eyebrows as a sign of respect after the deceased cat. The owners, whose dogs died, mourned the loss by shaving their entire body. Numerous cat mummies have been found in the Saqqara Necropolis in Egypt. These mummies are on display at the foot of the Bastet Temple, dedicated to cats.
Falcons, raptors, and scarabs were equally revered in ancient Egypt. Donkeys were used as work animals to crush seeds and carry loads. Farm animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, ducks; fed for consumption, oil and leather. Monkeys have been kept as pets and trained to take or steal things for their owners.
Baboons, known as baboons, are the only animals in Egypt that are not native to the country. There are many works in Egyptian history about baboons, which are considered sacred. It is thought that the ancient Egyptians may have associated the sun god of baboons with Ra, sunbathing to warm and facilitate digestion. The sacred ibis bird is one of the most important creatures of ancient Egypt. There are millions of mummified ibis birds in the ancient tombs of Egypt. It is known that these birds were sacrificed to the Egyptian God Thoth. In addition to these animals, animals such as crocodiles, hawks and jackals were also considered sacred.
