New Crocodile Museum in Egypt

A trip to Egypt is not complete without a visit to the Crocodile Museum, an animal that the Egyptians worshipped and was considered a symbol of fertility.

A creature both hated and admired, the crocodile is a true legend in Egypt. The ancient Egyptians worshipped Sobek, a crocodile god associated with fertility, protection, and the power of the pharaoh. Millions of years later, this iconic animal becomes the star of the cultural life in this African country, where it will have its own museum located in Aswan, inaugurated last January.

Three years were needed to create a place to house this peculiar center, situated in front of the Temple of Kom Ombo, which will host a collection of 40 mummified crocodiles from different species, ranging from small pieces of 1.50 meters to large specimens that reach 5 meters.

Overlooking the Nile and across from the historic temple at the high point of the Egyptian city, Egyptian authorities expect the new museum to become a major tourist attraction for both national and international visitors.

The Crocodile Museum will offer its visitors a collection of mummified crocodiles, a fetus of this type of reptile, and eggs. There will also be a collection of wooden and granite crocodile statues alongside replicas of caiman holes in the rocks. With this inauguration, homage is paid to the god Sobek, who was depicted as a crocodile or a man with a reptile's head, seen as a very powerful ancient Egyptian god, who was even believed to have been the creator of the world. Over time, he became a symbol of the fertility of the Nile. For this reason, different temples were built in honor of God Sobek in Kom Ombo, Esna, Fayoum, and many other areas.