No Egyptian mummy has ever been found in a pyramid, instead the Egyptians buried their mummified dead in rock-cut vaults deep underground. Believing that mummified egos could not reincarnate, Atonists like Akhenaton and Nefertiti preferred cremation to mummification and even fought a war over this principle. Early Christians, who also believed in reincarnation, were forbidden to be mummified or embalmed as well. Hints Don't miss the Sound and Light Show at the Karnak Temple every evening, the smaller but still magnificent Luxor Temple, and be sure to take a walk through the Arab market a block from the Nile. Wander among the carpet shops, tea cafes, and papyrus shops, but be prepared for the relentless attention of shop owners and street vendors.
Tourism is down nowadays in Egypt, so it's a buyers market.
And remember, anything you want is available at five other shops around the corner. A good side trip is to the Temple of Abydos several hours north along the Nile. Here you can visit an excellent temple in which the full list of all the kings of Egypt are listed in chronological order. Behind the temple is the famous Osirion, or Tomb of Osiris. This is a pre-Egyptian megalithic building, half submerged in a swamp, that is said to date from the time of Atlantis when the Mediterranean was a dry valley, the ancient Osirian Civilization.