Serapeum

Serapeum Review

This is site of the burials of the Apis Bulls. The Apis was a bull that was regarded as a manifestation of Ptah, a creator god. During its lifetime, the bull was worshiped, fed, washed, brushed, sung to, and generally made much of. When it died, it was elaborately mummified and buried, with golden grave goods, in a large basalt or granite sarcophagus that was placed in a chamber of the Serapeum. Then the priests embarked on a quest for a new bull, which took up the position of Apis. The dusty and gloomy Serapeum galleries stretch for miles under the bedrock. The Serapeum is closed to the public but is due to reopen in December 2010, though no open hours or ticket prices are available at this writing.