The catacombs of Tuna el-Gebel may stretch all the way to Hermopolis. The parts known to us today extends for 3 km, and consists of several main corridors with side passages that are blocked. The catacombs of Tuna el-Gebel had the same purpose as catacombs elsewhere. They were graves that could be visited by the deceased's family, safe from the elements of sun, water and wind. Not only inhabitants of Hermopolis were placed to rest here, but also sacred animals. The most sacred animals here reflected the local religious preferences. There are supposed to have been hundreds of thousands of ibis together with a large number of baboons. The ibis were sacred to Thoth, the god who had his cult centre at Hermopolis. The baboon was also associated with him. Most of the ibis have been destroyed by robbers over the centuries, and only one of the baboons has survived. This belongs to the best preserved part of the catacombs, the shrine close to the entrance (lowest picture).
