Sacred Animals of Ancient Egypt Gallery

Animals of all kinds were important to the Ancient Egyptians, and featured in the daily secular and religious lives of farmers, craftsmen, priests and rulers.

Animals were reared mainly for food, whilst others were kept as pets. The bodies of sacred animals and some pets were often mummified and given elaborate burials.

Mummy of a ram	Hippo in blue Egyptian faience	Head of a cheetah	Mummy of a dog
Mummy of a cat	Statue of a crocodile	The jackal god Anubis	Scarab beetle
A frog and dragonfly	Painting of a horse	Milking cattle, from the tomb of Kagemni at Sakkara	The royal cobra of Senuseret I in inlaid gold

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