Mummies Museum of Guanajuato: bodies preserved naturally (Mexico). Mummies of Guanajuato: the sad story of the cholera epidemic in Mexico Mummy in the museum

As promised in a previous post, today I will talk about the main attraction of the most beautiful city in Mexico -. It's about a truly shocking Mexican freak show - Museum of Mummies(Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato). I warn you: impressionable people, with a sensitive psyche, pregnant women and nursing mothers should refrain from viewing this post. It contains many photographs. people's bodies, who left our mortal world about 100-150 years ago, and this will hardly benefit you. The rest - welcome, but preferably not looking at night

It all started with the mid 19th century city ​​authorities Guanajuato burial tax was introduced. This meant that the dead citizens were buried in local cemeteries not for thanks, but on the terms of a paid extension of their grave-place. Since the dead themselves, for obvious reasons, cannot pay for themselves, their relatives had to do this. If the relatives did not have the opportunity or desire to pay, and in some cases, in fact, the relatives themselves were not found, then the body of the deceased was exhumed. What was the surprise of the cemetery workers when, instead of a pile of bones, they had to extract almost brand new dead from the graves, many of which had hair, teeth, nails and even clothes! An explanation was quickly found for an amazing fact: it turned out that the unique composition of the soil and climate Guanajuato contributes to the natural process of mummification of the bodies buried here. And no mysticism.

The law obliging relatives to pay the cemetery tax was in force from 1865 to 1958, and it was during this time that the “fund” of the future museum was formed: 111 mummies buried during the period 1850-1950s(according to some reports, citizens who died during the cholera epidemic in 1833). The mummified dead were kept in a room at the cemetery, which gradually began to attract tourists who wanted to visit it for a few pesos. That's how this one came to be one of the scariest in the world, museum.

Now exhibited in the museum 59 mummies, several of which are mummy children(At this point, think again if you want to scroll down). Some of them are equipped with tablets on which it is written in the first person: I am such and such, I gave my soul to God then and then, my debarked earthly shell was removed from the mother of damp earth then and then.

A visit to the museum begins with a corridor of mummies, behind the glass of which there are almost identical, especially unremarkable, dead bodies. On all of them, the skin was preserved, soft and silky, which, of course, cannot be called, but still; some comrades stand with their hair and legs, and the one on the far right flaunts in codpieces and boots, in which, obviously, he was sent to a better world.

Further, there are characters much more interesting. For example, this one, the best preserved, is in a leather jacket. If not for some inconsistencies in years, one would think that during his lifetime the guy was a rocker.

We go further and see no less interesting exhibits: some of the dead are comfortably located in the coffin, someone draws attention to themselves with a remarkably preserved toilet, and one of them who has departed to another world lures visitors to the museum with its oblique, almost to the waist.

Next, go to the gallery with the name Angelitos, in which, as you might guess, are stored baby mummies. According to the local tradition, the dead children were dressed up with festive clothes - boys in costumes of saints, girls in costumes of angels, believing that this way their sinless souls would quickly go to heaven.

But I was much more shocked by the photographs on the walls of this hall, which tell about the tradition that existed at that time - to take pictures with already dead babies as a keepsake. I immediately remembered an episode from my favorite horror film “The Others”, where the same thing was supposed to be done with the dead of any age. It's creepy, in general.

In the next room is the mummy of a woman who died in late pregnancy and her unborn child - smallest mummy in the world.

Quite a peculiar impression is produced by the next hall with mummies of people, who died not by their own death. Here, for example, is an exposition of a buried alive (left), a drowned man (middle) and a man who died from a head injury (right). With the third, everything is already clear, but how the other two comrades who subsequently mummified died, their extremely unnatural poses speak of. The mummy on the left is a woman who fell into a lethargic sleep and was buried by mistake, the position of her hands indicates an attempt to get out of such an unfortunate situation for her. By the position of the drowned man, one can judge that in the last seconds of his life he was very short of breath.

Two of those killed still had shoes. But what are their shoes compared to these exquisite examples of the shoe industry of that time?!

Many of you will probably want to ask the question: Was it scary to walk around the museum? I answer - it's not scary. There were moments when I was completely alone in any living room: my husband, barely crossing the threshold, galloped out of the museum, and there were so few other visitors that we didn’t interfere with each other at all. I felt absolutely unperturbed, and only one single thought haunted me from beginning to end: and THIS is how it ends! Might sound loud, but from a museum of death I left with a somewhat changed outlook on life.

Surely many of you reading this post will think that Mexicans are crazy. Anticipating your surprise, indignation, perhaps even indignation, I cannot but put in a good word for them. The fact is that Mexicans generally have a rather peculiar attitude towards death: they perceive it not just calmly, but, one might say, optimistically. What is absurd and even shocking for us, people of a different culture, for Mexicans is a natural part of their life. The tradition not to be afraid, but even "to be friends" with death goes back to the beliefs of their ancestors. The ancient Indians believed that death is the beginning of something greater, and it is much more important than life. AT Mexico even a holiday is appropriate - when they pay tribute to death and even flirt a little with it. If you try to look at things through the eyes of a Mexican, then even this museum does not look so terrible.

In general, as you can already guess, this is not the last post on the topic of Mexicans and death .. And now some useful information for those who want to visit the mummy museum.

Where is the Mummy Museum located?

The Mummies Museum (Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato) is located in the city of Guanajuato. How to get to Guanajuato, I wrote. The museum is located next to the cemetery - Panteón. Signs lead to the Museum of Mummies from absolutely anywhere in the city.

How much does it cost to visit the Mummies Museum in Guanajuato:

The entrance ticket to the Museum of Mummies costs 52 Mexican pesos, photography is paid - 20 pesos.

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog and supports it on social networks! Don't forget to subscribe to blog news:

burial tax was introduced. This meant that the dead citizens were buried in local cemeteries not for thanks, but on the terms of a paid extension of their grave-place. Since the dead themselves, for obvious reasons, cannot pay for themselves, their relatives had to do this. If the relatives did not have the opportunity or desire to pay, and in some cases, in fact, the relatives themselves were not found, then the body of the deceased was exhumed. What was the surprise of the cemetery workers when, instead of a pile of bones, they had to extract almost brand new dead from the graves, many of which had hair, teeth, nails and even clothes! An explanation was quickly found for an amazing fact: it turned out that the unique composition of the soil and climate Guanajuato contributes to the natural process of mummification of the bodies buried here. And no mysticism.

The law obliging relatives to pay the cemetery tax was in force from 1865 to 1958, and it was during this time that the “fund” of the future museum was formed: 111 mummies buried during the period 1850-1950s(according to some reports, citizens who died during the cholera epidemic in 1833). The mummified dead were kept in a room at the cemetery, which gradually began to attract tourists who wanted to visit it for a few pesos. That's how this one came to be one of the scariest in the world, museum.

Now exhibited in the museum 59 mummies, several of which are mummy children(At this point, think again if you want to scroll down). Some of them are equipped with tablets on which it is written in the first person: I am such and such, I gave my soul to God then and then, my debarked earthly shell was removed from the mother of damp earth then and then.

A visit to the museum begins with a corridor of mummies, behind the glass of which there are almost identical, especially unremarkable, dead bodies. On all of them, the skin was preserved, soft and silky, which, of course, cannot be called, but still; some comrades stand with their hair and legs, and the one on the far right flaunts in codpieces and boots, in which, obviously, he was sent to a better world.

Further, there are characters much more interesting. For example, this one, the best preserved, is in a leather jacket. If not for some inconsistencies in years, one would think that during his lifetime the guy was a rocker.

We go further and see no less interesting exhibits: some of the dead are comfortably located in the coffin, someone draws attention to themselves with a remarkably preserved toilet, and one of them who has departed to another world lures visitors to the museum with its oblique, almost to the waist.

Next, go to the gallery with the name Angelitos, in which, as you might guess, are stored baby mummies. According to the local tradition, the dead children were dressed up with festive clothes - boys in costumes of saints, girls in costumes of angels, believing that this way their sinless souls would quickly go to heaven.

But I was much more shocked by the photographs on the walls of this hall, which tell about the tradition that existed at that time - to take pictures with already dead babies as a keepsake. I immediately remembered an episode from my favorite horror film “The Others”, where the same thing was supposed to be done with the dead of any age. Creepy, in general.

In the next room is the mummy of a woman who died in late pregnancy and her unborn child -smallest mummy in the world.

Quite a peculiar impression is produced by the next hall with mummies of people,who died not by their own death. Here, for example, is an exposition of a buried alive (left), a drowned man (middle) and a man who died from a head injury (right). With the third, everything is already clear, but how the other two comrades who subsequently mummified died, their extremely unnatural poses speak of. The mummy on the left is a woman who fell into a lethargic sleep and was buried by mistake, the position of her hands indicates an attempt to get out of such an unfortunate situation for her. By the position of the drowned man, one can judge that in the last seconds of his life he was very short of breath.

Two of those killed still had shoes. But what are their shoes compared to these exquisite examples of the shoe industry of that time?!

Many of you will probably want to ask the question:Was it scary to walk around the museum?I answer - no worries. There were moments when I was left completely alone in any of the living rooms: my husband, having barely crossed the threshold, galloped away from the museum, and there were so few other visitors that we did not interfere with each other at all. I felt absolutely unperturbed, and only one single thought haunted me from beginning to end:and THIS is how it all ends.Might sound loud, but from a museumof deathI left with slightly changed views onlife.

Surely many of you reading this post will think thatMexicanscrazy. Anticipating your surprise, indignation, perhaps even indignation, I cannot but put in a good word for them. The fact is thatMexicansin general, they have a rather peculiar attitude towards death: they perceive it not just calmly, but, one might say, optimistically. What is absurd and even shocking for us, people of a different culture, forMexicansis a natural part of their lives. The tradition not to be afraid, but even "to be friends" with death goes back to the beliefs of their ancestors. The ancient Indians believed that death is the beginning of something greater, and it is much more important than life. ATMexicothere is even a corresponding holiday -The day of the Deadwhen they pay tribute to death and even flirt a little with it. If you try to look at things through the eyes of a Mexican, then even this museum does not look so terrible.

The Mummy Museum is located in the Mexican town of Guanajuato. Its exposition consists of the bodies of people mummified in a natural way. From 1865 to 1958, a law was in force in the city, according to which the relatives of the dead were forced to pay a tax on burial in a cemetery. In case of non-payment of tax for several years, the body of their relative was exhumed. If it managed to mummify, it was sent to the collection. Now 111 mummies are buried in the museum.

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, tourists became interested in mummies, and smart cemetery workers began to charge a fee for visiting the room where the relics were stored. Officially, the opening year of the Museum of Mummies in Guanajuato is 1969, when the mummies were placed in glazed racks and exhibited in a separate room. In 2007, the museum's exposition was divided into different themes. The museum attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.

A museum of this kind cannot but acquire legends, they say that the oldest mummies date back to 1833, when the city was covered by a cholera epidemic. Whatever their history, it does not negate their uniqueness, because unlike Egyptian mummies, they were not intentionally mummified. The local climate and soil favored natural mummification.

The smallest mummy of a baby is considered the rarest exhibit, it is signed as "the smallest mummy in the world." Tradition says that the baby died during an unsuccessful birth.

Sometimes exhibits are exhibited in other cities. As a rule, these are about a dozen mummies, the insurance value of which is a million dollars.

The museum has a souvenir shop where you can buy clay mummy figurines and more.

A mummy is a body of a living creature specially treated with a chemical substance, in which the process of tissue decomposition slows down. Mummies are stored for hundreds and even thousands of years, carrying the history of our ancestors, their customs and appearance. On the one hand, mummies look terribly scary, sometimes goosebumps run from one glance, on the other hand, they keep an interesting history of the ancient world. We have compiled a list of 13 of the most creepy and at the same time the most interesting mummies ever discovered in the world:

13. Guanajuato Mummies Museum, Mexico

Photo 13. Guanajuato Mummies Museum - 59 mummies that died in 1850-1950 are on display [blogspot.ru]

The Guanajuato Mummies Museum in Mexico is one of the strangest and most terrible in the world, with about 111 mummies (59 of which are on display) that died between 1850 and 1950. The distorted facial expressions on some of the mummies indicate that they were buried alive. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the museum every year.

12. Baby mummy in Qilakitsoq, Greenland

Photo 12. Mummy of a 6-month-old boy in Greenland (Qilakitsoq township) [Choffa]

Another example of a living burial is a 6-month-old boy found in Greenland. Nearby, 3 more mummies of women were found, perhaps one of them is the boy's mother, with whom he was buried alive (according to the Eskimo customs of that time). The mummies are dated 1460. Thanks to the icy climate of Greenland, the clothes of that time are well preserved. In total, 78 pieces of clothing made from the skins of animals, such as seals and deer, were found. There were small tattoos on the faces of adults, but the face of a child is just awful!

11. Rosalia Lombardo, Italy

Photo 11. 2-year-old girl who died in 1920 from pneumonia [Maria lo sposo]

Little Rosalia was only 2 years old when she died of pneumonia in 1920 in Palermo (Sicily). The saddened father instructed the famous embalmer Alfred Salafia to mummify the body of Rosalia Lombardo.

10. Mummy with a painted face, Egypt

Photo 10. The mummy from Egypt is presented in the British Museum [Klafubra]

When we think about mummies, the first thing that comes to mind is Egypt. Many films have been made featuring these surviving corpses, which, bandaged in bandages, come back to life, attacking civilians. The photo shows one of the typical representatives of mummies (the exhibit is on display at the British Museum).

9. Christian Friedrich von Kalbutz, Germany

Photo 9. Knight Christian, Germany [B. Schroeren]

The photo shows the German knight Christian, an aura of mystery surrounds this terrible look of the mummy.

8. Ramses II, Egypt

Photo 8. The mummy of the Egyptian pharaoh - Ramses the Great [ThutmoseIII]

The mummy shown in the photo belongs to Pharaoh Ramses II (Ramses the Great), who died in 1213 BC. and is one of the most famous Egyptian pharaohs. It is believed that he was the ruler of Egypt during the campaign of Moses and is represented as such in many works of art. One of the distinguishing features of the mummy is the presence of red hair, symbolizing the connection with the god Set, the patron saint of royal power.

7. Skrydstrup woman, Denmark

Photo 7. Mummy of a girl 18-19 years old, Denmark [Sven Rosborn]

Mummy of a woman 18-19 years old, buried in Denmark in 1300 BC. From her clothes and jewelry, it can be assumed that she belonged to the family of the leader. The girl was buried in an oak coffin, so her body and clothes are surprisingly well preserved.

6. Ginger, Egypt

Photo 6. Mummy of an Egyptian adult [Jack1956]

The mummy of Ginger “Ginger” is an Egyptian mummy of an adult male who died over 5,000 years ago and was buried in the sand in the desert (at that time the Egyptians had not yet begun mummification of corpses).

5. Man Gallah, Ireland

Photo 5. Gallagh man buried in a swamp [Mark J Healey]

This strange type of mummy, known as the Gallagh Man, was discovered in a swamp in Ireland in 1821. The man was buried in a swamp wearing a cloak with a fragment of a willow branch around his neck. Some researchers believe he may have been strangled.

4. Man Rendsvuren, Germany

Photo 4. Man bog Rendsvuren [Bullenwächter]

The Rendswühren swamp man, like Gallach the swamp man, was found in a swamp, this time in Germany in 1871. The man was 40-50 years old, it is believed that he was beaten to death, the body was found in the 19th century.

3. Seti I - the pharaoh of ancient Egypt

Photo 3. Seti I - Egyptian pharaoh in the tomb. [underwood and underwood]

Seti I ruled 1290-1279 B.C. The pharaoh's mummy was buried in an Egyptian tomb. The Egyptians were skilled embalmers, so we can see their work in our time.

2. Princess Ukok, Altai

Photo 2. Mummy of Princess Ukok [

The Folk Museum of Guanajuato is located in one of the most beautiful places in the historic part of the city. The museum was opened in 1979 and since then its collection has been constantly updated with new samples of folk art.

The permanent exhibition of the museum presents many objects of national heritage. These are archaeological finds, and samples of fine art, and tools, and household items of local peoples. The pearl of the museum is an extensive collection of miniatures.

Despite the abundance of exhibits, the museum's exposition is organized very compactly, which makes visiting the museum very comfortable.

The museum is open every day, except Sunday and Monday, from ten in the morning to seven in the evening. On Sunday, the museum is open to the public from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Jean Byron House Museum

This museum is a recreated hacienda, a typical building where the wealthy lived during the flourishing silver mining industry. The hacienda was restored in the mid-50s of the last century and today is a good visual example of the lifestyle of its last inhabitants - the artist Jean Byron and her husband Virgil.

The creative inclinations of the inhabitants of the house left a colorful imprint on its decoration. It is furnished with delicate taste. The interior is decorated with original items made of wood and ceramics, paintings, as well as antique furniture. The beautiful garden surrounding the house-museum also pleases with its calm beauty.

The house functions as a museum, which regularly hosts exhibitions. There is also a cultural center where baroque music concerts and various arts and crafts classes are held. Some of the artwork is available for purchase.

Museum of Independence

The Museum of Independence is located in the city center inside a building built in the late eighteenth century by the patron Francisco Miguel Gonzalez.

Previously, there was a prison here, which on one historic Sunday in September 1810 lost all its prisoners as a result of the Grito de Independencia.

In 1985, the building acquired the status of a museum, which currently includes seven permanent exhibitions, including the "Liberation of Prisoners", "Abolition of Slavery", "Judicial Hidalgo", "Perfection of Independence" and others. In addition to expositions, the museum organizes tours, themed film cycles, traveling exhibitions, conferences and concerts.

Mining Museum of San Ramon

The Mining Museum of San Ramon is a public museum dedicated to the region's mining industry and is open to the public. The permanent exhibition includes exhibitions of minerals, old photographs, objects of labor and everyday life of the miners of the county of Valencia.

The oldest exhibits of the museum date back to 1549, when surface silver deposits were discovered in the county of Valencia, which are still considered one of the richest in the world. Later, the development was also carried out by the mine method. In one of these mines, a separate exposition is arranged. The total length of this mine is five hundred and fifty meters, however, for safety reasons, only the first fifty are allowed to visit.

At the entrance to the excursion mine there is a small restaurant where you can taste national dishes in an appropriate setting.

mummy museum

The Mummies Museum in the Mexican town of Guanajuato invites its visitors to look at the mummified bodies of people, of whom more than a hundred are collected here. The exposition of the museum is evidence of a very unusual attitude towards death. The mummies on display are in very good condition. Mexican mummies differ from Egyptian mummies in that the atmosphere and soils in Mexico are too dry, so the bodies are severely dehydrated, and not specially embalmed.

The museum exhibits 59 mummies that were exhumed between 1865 and 1958. At that time, a law was in force in the country, according to which relatives had to pay a tax for the bodies of their deceased loved ones to rest in the cemetery. And if the family could not pay on time, they would lose the right to a burial place, and the bodies would be removed from the stone tombs. After lying in the dry ground, some of the bodies naturally mummified, and they were kept in a special building at the cemetery.

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the mummies located there began to attract the attention of tourists, and the cemetery staff began to charge a fee for viewing. In 1969, when the mummies in Guanajuato were put on display in glass cases. And in 2007, the museum's exposition was rearranged into thematic sections. Every year hundreds of thousands of tourists come here, as well as numerous researchers.

Exhacienda San Gabriel de Barrera Museum

The Exhacienda San Gabriel de Barrera Museum is a museum of Mexican gardens. Here you can see Mexican flowers, shrubs and trees. The Exhacienda San Gabriel de Barrera museum is located on a huge Mexican ranch, created in the seventeenth century. Previously, it belonged to the famous Mexican Gabriel Barrera. He gained popularity as a gardener thanks to the cultivation of various plants. These were Mexican flowers, shrubs and trees. Seventeen Barrera gardens have survived to this day.

Visitors to the gardens will be able to see here not only representatives of plants that were grown in the seventeenth century, but also those that are found in Mexico today.

Five gardens are located in the museum in an open area, there are also those that are located indoors. Exhacienda San Gabriel de Barrera is open every day. Visitors are expected from 9 am to 6 pm. For a day of stay on the territory of the museum you will have to pay about eight dollars.

Diego Rivera Museum

The Diego Rivera Museum was founded in 1975. It contains the collection of the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera. The gallery's collection includes over one hundred and seventy-five works by the master. Most of the paintings once belonged to a local resident, Marta. In the Diego Rivera Museum, visitors will be able to see the paintings that the artist created in early childhood, during his youth and in the last years of his life. The last painting he created dates back to 1956. In the museum you can see such famous paintings by Diego Rivera as "Madame Libet", "Dove of Peace", "Classic Head".

In addition to paintings, the gallery presents some of the artist's sketches. The Diego Rivera Museum houses the work of other artists of Mexico in the twentieth century. They are united in a separate collection called "minimark". For example, here you can see paintings by José Luis Cuevas. The Diego Rivera Museum is open all year round. You will have to pay a few dollars to stay in the museum.

Museum of the Casa de la Tia Aura

This museum can literally be called unique. Because its exposition is a very peculiar collection of impressions, shades, nuances and inexplicable feelings left from the inhabitants who inhabited this old house before.

This museum is often referred to as the Haunted House. And special effects help to feel its mysterious and even mystical atmosphere very reliably.

The idea for creating such a museum was given by the information that human sacrifices were made inside this house.

The tour of the house is in Spanish only, so it will be difficult for foreign-speaking guests to understand the guide's story. But very believable sighs, rustles and other sounds speak for themselves. You won't be bored in this museum.

The museum is open from Monday to Saturday.

Museum of Fine Arts in Quixote

The Museum of Fine Arts in Quixote is a museum created under the patronage of the Government of Guanajuato and the Cervantina Eulalio Foundation. The Museum of Fine Arts in Quixote is widely recognized as a cultural center. The reason for the popularity lies not only in the widest thematic collection of the museum (more than 900 works of art). First of all, the museum is known as the center of the annual Art Festival, where artists, writers, sculptors and other representatives of the creative intelligentsia from all over the world gather.

The exposition of the museum includes paintings made in different styles and techniques, sculptures, ceramics, objects of arts and crafts and much more. The collection continues to grow, mainly through donations from the Cervantina Foundation.

mummy museum

The Mummy Museum was established at the end of the nineteenth century. It was opened in 1865. At this time, the first mummified body was discovered in the pantheon of Santa Paulo. Over one hundred and fifty years of history, the museum has been visited by over one million visitors. The collection of the mummy museum has more than a hundred exhibits. Some of them were donated to the museum by American researchers.

The Mummy Museum was created in order to preserve the cultural heritage of Mexico. Each exhibit reflects the life of Guanajuato for several decades. During tours of the mummy museum, the guide tells visitors about the features of the appearance of mummies, the decoration of their graves, and also retells Mexican legends associated with mummies. Each employee of the museum took part in archaeological excavations, which are constantly carried out on the territory of Guanajuato. In 2007, the mummy museum was renovated.

Attractions Guanajuato