The Serapeum is the name commonly used for a sanctuary associated either with the cult of the sacred Apis bulls or with the later Greco-Egyptian god Serapis. In reality, there were two famous Serapeums in ancient Egypt: one at Saqqara and another at Alexandria.
The Serapeum of Saqqara was primarily dedicated to the sacred Apis bulls, while the Serapeum of Alexandria served as the center of the cult of Serapis. Although they shared a similar name, the two complexes had distinct functions and origins. The Alexandrian sanctuary was largely Greek in character, whereas the Saqqara Serapeum dates back at least to the 18th Dynasty. This article focuses on the earlier and more ancient complex at Saqqara.
The Serapeum of Saqqara served as the burial place of the sacred Apis bulls. These revered animals were believed to be earthly manifestations of the creator god Ptah. When an Apis bull died, it was mummified and buried with elaborate ceremonies intended to ensure its rebirth. Priests then searched for the next bull that would embody the god. Although the names of 67 Apis bulls are known today, there were undoubtedly many more throughout Egyptian history.
After mummification, the bull’s body was transported along the sacred processional road from Memphis to Saqqara. Calves that died prematurely were also given ceremonial burials.
Napoleon’s scholars searched unsuccessfully for the Serapeum during the French expedition to Egypt. The site remained lost until 1850, when the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette made one of the most remarkable discoveries in the history of Egyptology.
In 1850, Mariette, who had a strong interest in Egyptian hieroglyphs and the Coptic language, was sent to Egypt by the Louvre Museum to acquire Coptic, Syriac, and Arabic manuscripts. His mission was to secure valuable texts and strengthen the museum’s collections in competition with other European institutions.
However, due to his limited experience and unfamiliarity with the region, he achieved little success in obtaining manuscripts. Reluctant to return to France empty-handed and fearing that this might be his only opportunity to explore Egypt, he hired local Bedouin guides and began visiting monuments, temples, and archaeological sites.
While exploring the Memphis necropolis near the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, he noticed the head of a sphinx emerging from the desert sand.
Mariette organized an excavation and employed about 30 workers to uncover the monument. As the work progressed, they revealed an entire avenue lined with sphinxes. Archaeologists estimate that the avenue originally contained around 600 sphinxes, some of which are now preserved in the Louvre Museum.
Most importantly, the avenue led to a vast underground complex—the long-lost Serapeum of Saqqara.
As excavations continued, Mariette and his team uncovered the courtyard of a buried temple. Among the remarkable discoveries made during this work were the famous statue known as the “Seated Scribe” and a statue of the dwarf god Bes.
On November 12, 1851, Mariette used explosives to clear the blocked entrance to the underground galleries and gained access to the interior. What he found exceeded all expectations.
Within the complex were the enormous stone sarcophagi of more than 60 Apis bulls, dating from the reign of Amenhotep III (c. 1390–1353 BC) to that of Ptolemy X Alexander (110–88 BC). Mariette also discovered the tomb of Prince Khaemweset, the renowned son of Ramesses II, who is often regarded as one of the world’s earliest antiquarians.
The Serapeum consists of a main underground gallery with more than 30 side chambers connected by corridors and passageways containing the massive sarcophagi of the sacred bulls. Unfortunately, all of the sarcophagi had been emptied long before the site’s discovery. The Great Gallery is believed to have been constructed during the time of Prince Khaemweset in the 13th century BC.
Additional galleries were added during the reign of Psamtik I (664–610 BC), and the complex was further expanded during the Ptolemaic Period. Eventually, the principal gallery reached approximately 350 meters (1,150 feet) in length. New service passages were also constructed, creating an extensive underground network that stretches for several kilometers.
The colossal sarcophagi, carved from granite and other hard stones, are among the largest stone coffins ever created in antiquity. Some weigh as much as 70 tons, including their lids.
During the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, the Serapeum formed part of a vast sacred landscape connected to the Nile Valley by a famous processional avenue, or dromos, described by the Greek geographer Strabo.
At the end of this avenue stood an esplanade surrounded by Greco-Roman sanctuaries and temples. One of the most remarkable structures was a hemicycle dedicated to celebrated Greek poets, philosophers, and scholars. The statues discovered there, now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, are among the rare surviving representations of these historical figures.
Farther north along the processional road stood a chapel dedicated to Apis. It contained a life-size statue of the sacred bull adorned with a solar disk between its horns. Today, this impressive sculpture is preserved in the Louvre Museum.
The discovery of the Serapeum of Saqqara transformed the study of ancient Egypt and established Auguste Mariette as one of the founding figures of modern Egyptology. More than 170 years later, the underground galleries and colossal sarcophagi of the sacred Apis bulls remain among the most fascinating archaeological treasures of ancient Egypt.
