Serapeum

The Serapeum is a system of underground galleries hewn out of solid rock with large side chambers where the mummified remains of the sacred bulls of Apis were held in sarcophagi. The whole complex was dedicated to the god Osiris-Apis (Osirapis). Entrance to a small gallery whose wall is carved with hieroglyphic inscription associated with offerings to the Apis bulls. Country of Origin: Egypt. Culture: Ancient Egyptian. Date/Period: dating from the 18th Dynasty, 1550 - 1295 BC to Ptolemaic times 332 - 30 BC. Place of Origin: Memphis, Saqqara. Credit Line: Werner Forman Archive/ N.J. Saunders.