Cat mummies discovered in Egyptian tombs by archaeologists
Cat mummies have been discovered in a tomb in Egypt.
The amazing find was uncovered by archaeologists near Cairo, where seven Pharaonic Age tombs were located.
The tombs contained dozens of cat mummies along with wooden statues depicting other animals and birds.
Ministry official Mostafa Waziri said the discovery at Saqqara also includes mummies of scarab beetles, the first ever to be found in the area.
“The scarab is something really unique,” said Mr Waziri.
“It is something really a bit rare.
“A couple of days ago, when we discovered those coffins, they were sealed coffins with drawings of scarabs.
“I never heard about them before.”
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Of the statues found, those depicting cats were the majority, reflecting the reverence ancient Egyptians showed the felines, whose God Bastet was worshipped.
Other statues depicted a lion, a cow and a falcon.
Egypt has been promoting its new historical discoveries in the hopes of reviving a devastated tourism sector still recovering from the turmoil following a 2011 uprising that toppled long-time leader Hosni Mubarak.
