Serapeum of Saqqara Travel Guide: Top Sights in Egypt, Tours & Travel

⁰

Serapeum of Saqqara- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Historical & Cultural; Egypt; 5 Reviews

+3 Photos

Suggested Duration: 2 hours

Located within the ancient necropolis of Saqqara—a sprawling 4-square-mile burial ground serving Memphis, Egypt's first capital—the Serapeum stands as a testament to millennia of ritual innovation. This subterranean labyrinth, dedicated to the sacred Apis bulls, functioned for over 1,300 years (from the New Kingdom to Ptolemaic times) as the exclusive resting place for these divine animals, worshipped as earthly incarnations of Ptah, the creator god. Unlike Saqqara's more famous Step Pyramid, the Serapeum's significance lies beneath the desert: a network of vaulted galleries chiseled from bedrock, housing colossal granite sarcophagi, each weighing up to 60 tons. Visitors descend into a shadowed world where engineering prowess meets spiritual devotion. The main gallery, stretching over 600 feet, reveals niches holding 24 massive black and red granite sarcophagi, their surfaces polished to a mirror-like finish despite their staggering size—a feat requiring extraordinary precision. Recent discoveries, like the 2020 unearthing of sealed 2,500-year-old wooden coffins and gilded statues nearby, underscore that Saqqara remains archaeologically alive, with the Serapeum's climate-controlled chambers playing a key role in preserving organic materials like mummified remains and painted artifacts. The Serapeum's atmosphere—cool, silent, and thick with history—offers an intimate encounter with Egypt's layered beliefs. Here, the Apis cult fused political power with popular religion; each bull's death triggered nationwide mourning and an elaborate mummification process before interment in these stone behemoths. Modern explorers walk the same corridors once trod by priests and pilgrims, passing hieroglyphic inscriptions and stelae marking royal decrees, a tangible link to rituals that shaped ancient society far beyond the desert's edge.

Operators offering tours in Egypt

Attractions in Giza

Giza pyramid complex

4.6

Great Sphinx of Giza

Grand Egyptian Museum

4.6

Pyramid of Khafre

Pyramid of Menkaure

Saqqara Necropolis

Pyramid of Djoser

4.8

Bent Pyramid

Reviews of Serapeum of Saqqara

Benedict Mac

4
Reviewed: 2025-06-15

This is full of sarcophagi for sacred bulls. Other than that, not much to it. Other sites around here have more to them. Watch out for the guides who attach themselves to you! Just say no thank you. We didn't, but we didn't learn a huge amount. The sarcophagi are hugely impressive. The only one smashed is the one the French did when they found and took the mummy to the Louvre. Some were told.
Marwan

5
Reviewed: 2025-04-25

one of Egypt’s most mind-blowing ancient wonders. this is a vast underground labyrinth of massive granite sarcophagi, each weighing 70+ TONS!. very indication of lost ancient technology
Nirmal Kumar

4
Reviewed: 2025-04-16

𝖴𝗇𝗏𝖾𝗂𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖠𝗇𝖼𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖬𝗒𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗨𝗠 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗔𝗤𝗤𝗔𝗥𝗔 | 𝗚𝗜𝗭𝗔 | 𝗘𝗚𝗬𝗣𝗧 𝖨𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝗋𝖾 𝖽𝗋𝖺𝗐𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖼𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝖾𝗎𝗆 𝗈𝖿 𝖲𝖺𝗊𝗊𝖺𝗋𝖺 𝗂𝗇 𝖤𝗀𝗒𝗉𝗍 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝖾 𝗁𝗂𝗀𝗁 𝗈𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍. 𝖳𝗎𝖼𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗏𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗇𝖾𝖼𝗋𝗈𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖲𝖺𝗊𝗊𝖺𝗋𝖺, 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗈𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝗂𝗌𝗇’𝗍 𝖺𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝖽𝖾𝗅𝗒 𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖯𝗒𝗋𝖺𝗆𝗂𝖽𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖦𝗂𝗓𝖺, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗂𝗍 𝗈𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝖾𝗊𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒, 𝗂𝖿 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾, 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖿𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝗔 𝗛𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝖾𝗎𝗆 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗏𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗎𝖻𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖾𝖺𝗇 𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗎𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖠𝗉𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗌 - 𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗅𝗌 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗉𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗌 𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗁𝗅𝗒 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗂𝖿𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝗈𝖽 𝖯𝗍𝖺𝗁. 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝖻𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗌 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗆𝗎𝗆𝗆𝗂𝖿𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖻𝗎𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝗈𝗋. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗈𝗆𝖻𝗌 𝖽𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝗌 𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗅𝗒 𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝟣𝟪𝗍𝗁 𝖣𝗒𝗇𝖺𝗌𝗍𝗒, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗌 𝗐𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆 𝗍𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗒 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗒 𝗎𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝖽𝗎𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖫𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖯𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗈𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝖠𝗇𝖼𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖤𝗀𝗒𝗉𝗍. 𝖣𝖾𝗌𝖼𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝖾𝗎𝗆 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗎𝗇𝗇𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝗆𝗅𝗒 𝗅𝗂𝗍, 𝖼𝗈𝗈𝗅, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖾𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗅𝗒 𝗌𝗂𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗍, 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗆𝖺𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗈𝗉𝗁𝖺𝗀𝗂 𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋𝗌. 𝖤𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗌𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗈𝗉𝗁𝖺𝗀𝗎𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝖾𝗇𝗈𝗋𝗆𝗈𝗎𝗌, 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗎𝗉 𝗍𝗈 𝟩𝟢 𝗍𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗋𝖺𝖿𝗍𝗌𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉 𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗇𝗂𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝖾𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝖼𝖺𝗅𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝗈𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝖺𝗇𝖼𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖤𝗀𝗒𝗉𝗍𝗂𝖺𝗇𝗌 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗇𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇. 𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝖾𝗎𝗆 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝖲𝖺𝗊𝗊𝖺𝗋𝖺 𝖭𝖾𝖼𝗋𝗈𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗌. 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝗂𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺 𝗀𝗎𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝗈𝗋 𝗃𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺 𝗌𝗆𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗉, 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝖽𝖾𝖾𝗉𝖾𝗋 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗂𝗍𝖾’𝗌 𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇𝗂𝖿𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾. 𝖬𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖻𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝖾𝗎𝗆 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺 𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝗍𝖾𝗉 𝗣𝘆𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗷𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗅𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗉𝗒𝗋𝖺𝗆𝗂𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝖤𝗀𝗒𝗉𝗍. 𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗦 & 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗦𝗮𝗾𝗾𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 : 𝖠𝖽𝗎𝗅𝗍 : 𝖤𝖦𝖯 𝟨𝟢𝟢 / 𝖲𝗍𝗎𝖽𝖾𝗇𝗍 : 𝖤𝖦𝖯 𝟥𝟢𝟢 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘂𝗺 : 𝖠𝖽𝗎𝗅𝗍: 𝖤𝖦𝖯 𝟣𝟪𝟢 / 𝖲𝗍𝗎𝖽𝖾𝗇𝗍: 𝖤𝖦𝖯 𝟫𝟢 𝗣𝘆𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗷𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 : 𝖠𝖽𝗎𝗅𝗍 : 𝖤𝖦𝖯 𝟤𝟪𝟢 / 𝖲𝗍𝗎𝖽𝖾𝗇𝗍 : 𝖤𝖦𝖯 𝟣𝟦𝟢 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖼𝗄 𝗆𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝖾𝗎𝗆 𝗐𝖺𝗌𝗇’𝗍 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗌𝖼𝖺𝗅𝖾 𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝗐𝖾𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 - 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗒. 𝖶𝗁𝗒 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗈𝗉𝗁𝖺𝗀𝗂 𝗌𝗈 𝗅𝖺𝗋𝗀𝖾? 𝖧𝗈𝗐 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽? 𝖠𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗁𝗒 𝖽𝗈 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗅𝖾𝖽… 𝗒𝖾𝗍 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀? 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝖾𝗎𝗆 𝖽𝗈𝖾𝗌𝗇’𝗍 𝗀𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝖼𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗌 𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗂𝗅𝗒 - 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍’𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌 𝗂𝗍 𝗌𝗈 𝖿𝖺𝗌𝖼𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀.
Ahmed Yassien

5
Reviewed: 2025-02-16

The Serapeum of Saqqara was originated as a monument to the deceased Apis Bulls, The sacred animal of the god Ptah. And the area was used as a cemetery for the bulls as early as 1550 BC- 30 BC. It was King Ramses II who designed a main gallery and subsidiary chambers (by his son prince Khaemweset), and the following kings kept enlarging it. In death The deceased Apis bulls became assimilated to the god Osiris as Osiris-Apis. And in the Ptolemaic era it was dedicated to the Greco-Egyptian god Serapis (Osorapis).
donohof

5
Reviewed: 2025-01-01

Must be the most underrated place to visit in Saqqara. No queue at all and simply bewildered by the granite tombs which are cut from a single piece of up to 100 tons. How did they do it?!