Tuna el-Gabal is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Egypt, located about 270 kilometers from Cairo. Most of the city and its ruins are dedicated to Thoth, the ancient Egyptian god symbolizing wisdom and writing. Although the site dates back to the Late Period, its peak era was during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.
In ancient texts, it was known as “Ta-Hent,” “Ta-Ono,” and “Ta-Unt,” from which the name Tuna, meaning “mountain,” was derived.
The site includes cemeteries shaped like temples, with the most important being the Petosiris Cemetery, as well as cemeteries shaped like mudbrick houses. There are about 24 cemeteries in total, with the most prominent being Isadora and the Sacred Cemetery (the catacombs), where the ibis bird—Thoth’s symbol—and baboon legs, as well as a dedicated well, were found. This suggests the area may have functioned as an early zoo for breeding and caring for the ibis. There were special fields called “Ibis Fields.”
Tuna el-Gabal is the largest known Greco-Roman cemetery in Egypt. The catacombs here are among the most important shrines in the region, containing mummified ibis birds and baboons—symbols of Thoth representing writing and wisdom.
Cemeteries and Catacombs
Located west of Tuna el-Gabal, this is the largest cemetery for mummified animals and birds, dedicated to four species: ibises, baboons, falcons, and others. The underground crypts are four to five meters deep and part of a large complex, each with its own entrance. Priests, holding titles such as “Ibis Shepherd,” managed and organized these crypts. Millions of birds and stuffed animals, especially ibises and baboons, were housed here. Each crypt measures about 2.5 meters wide and 3 to 4 meters high, with niches carved into the walls to hold mummified ibises in clay pots or small wooden coffins.
Archaeological Discoveries
Small rock-cut rooms containing a mummified baboon have been found. These rooms were later sealed with mudbricks. Specific rooms for the mummification process of ibises and baboons exist, though many have yet to be uncovered. Recent discoveries in 2019 included a tomb containing more than 50 mummies from the Ptolemaic period and many stone coffins, found by an Egyptian-German mission.