Salima Ikram facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Salima Ikram
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Ikram in 2015
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| Born | 17 May 1965 |
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| Fields | Egyptology |
| Institutions | American University in Cairo |
Salima Ikram (born May 17, 1965) is a famous Pakistani professor. She teaches about Egyptology at the American University in Cairo. Egyptology is the study of ancient Egypt. Salima Ikram has worked on many archaeological digs in Egypt. She has also written several books about ancient Egypt. You might have seen her on TV shows about history and archaeology.
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Becoming an Egyptologist
Salima Ikram was born in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1965. She became interested in archaeology when she was eight years old. This happened after she read books about ancient Egypt. When she was nine, she visited Egypt. This trip made her even more excited about studying ancient Egypt.
Her College Journey
Ikram went to Bryn Mawr College to study Egyptology and Archaeology. She earned her first degree there. Then, she continued her studies at the University of Cambridge. There, she earned her master's and PhD degrees. Her PhD research was about how meat was produced in ancient Egypt.
What Salima Ikram Does
Salima Ikram lives in Cairo, Egypt. She is a professor at the American University in Cairo. She teaches students about ancient Egypt and archaeology. In 2017, she was a visiting professor at Yale University. She taught classes there about death, burial, food, and drink in ancient Egypt. She was also chosen to be a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This is a special honor for important thinkers.
Working with Ancient Animals
Ikram helps lead the Animal Mummy Project at the Egyptian Museum. This project studies animal mummies from ancient Egypt. Since 2001, she has also led the North Kharga Oasis Survey. This project explores an area in the desert. She has also worked on other important digs. These include projects in the Valley of the Kings. She also worked on a project about ancient Egyptian leather.
Salima Ikram on TV
Salima Ikram is often seen in the media. She writes articles for magazines like Egypt Today and National Geographic. She has also appeared in many TV documentaries. These shows are on channels like PBS, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Channel. She has been in over 30 documentaries about her work. Some of these include 'Unearthing Ancient Secrets: Animal Mummies'. She was also in 'Tomb of Saqqara' on Netflix. This show was very popular in 2021. She even helped as an advisor for The Mummy movie.
Sharing Knowledge Worldwide
In 2018, Ikram went to Tenerife, Spain. She took part in a big meeting about mummies. At this meeting, mummies from different parts of the world were shown. This included mummies from the Canary Islands. Their mummification technique was similar to the ancient Egyptians.
She travels around the world to give talks. She speaks at conferences and museums. She teaches about many topics. These include ancient Egyptian art, architecture, and daily life. She also teaches about death and burial in ancient Egypt. Her research focuses on things like ancient burials and animal studies. She also studies rock art and how to protect old sites.
As of July 2025, Salima Ikram is the only female Pakistani archaeologist. She is the only one working in Egypt.
Awards and Honors
- Excellence in Research Award from The American University in Cairo (2006).
- Annual Award in Investigation from the Spanish Geographical Society (2013).
- Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017).
Books by Salima Ikram
Salima Ikram has written many books. Some of her books are for grown-ups. Others are written especially for young readers.
Books for Young Readers
- Egyptology (1997)
- In Ancient Egypt: Gods and Temples (1998)
- In Ancient Egypt: Mummies and Tombs (1998)
- Pharaohs (1997)
- Land and People (1997)
Explore with Salima Ikram
Salima Ikram also leads special tours to Egypt. These tours are for people who want to learn about archaeology. You can find more about these trips with Far Horizons Archaeological and Cultural trips and Ancient World Tours.
See also
In Spanish: Salima Ikram para niños
