Abydos, the 8th province in ancient Egypt, is one of the oldest cities not only in Ancient Egypt but in the entire world, and by far the most important as far as archaeology is concerned. It is located about 11 kilometers west of the Nile near the modern Egyptian town of El Balyana. It was called Abdu in ancient times, and the Greeks called it Abydos. In ancient years, it snowballed in popularity as the place for burying the pharaohs, a fact which led to it becoming a cult center for the god Osiris. Most historians believe that the Predynastic rulers initially founded the city, which was then continuously added by many of the pharaohs between the 1st and 13th dynasties. Narmer was among the pharaohs from the first dynasty who were buried in Abydos, in addition to other pharaohs of the second dynasty.
The Great Temple of Abydos (Temple of Seti I)
Although the archaeological site here is vast, the focal point is the impressive Temple of Seti.
The Temple of Seti was constructed for the worship of the god Osiris by Seti I, who was a pharaoh of Egypt in the Nineteenth Dynasty, ruling from 1290-1279 BCE. The temple was completed after Seti I’s death by his son, Ramses II, whose cartouches are found in certain parts of the temple, which is different from the very fine raised relief of his father.
The temple of Seti I has a unique design in the shape of an upside-down “L”. It was built primarily of limestone, with the occasional use of sandstone in different areas throughout the structure. It was originally 550ft long, but the part still in good shape is about 76 m long and 110 m wide. Everything about this temple is not historical but religious, which is a transformation of the king after his death.
The Temple of Seti I is also often referred to as the Great Temple of Abydos, largely because it is the most imposing structure at the site. Inside the temple, visitors can see a wonderful collection of paintings and a comprehensive list from the nineteenth dynasty known as the Abydos King List. This list names the most important pharaohs, according to Seti. There are a total of 76 pharaohs on the list. It starts with Menes, the founder of the First Dynasty, and ends with Seti. The list, therefore, records over 1,600 years of history, although with some omissions. This King List is one of only ten in Egypt; it is a very important reference for historians.
The architecture of Abydos Temple
The Temple of Seti had a terrace, multiple courts, chambers, and two pylons, as well as seven chapels. These chapels were dedicated by Seti I and made for Osiris, Isis, Horus, Amon Ra, Ra HorAkhty, Ptah, and Seti I as a deified King. Each chapel has a roof with flat corbelling slabs decorated with royal cartouches and stars.
Southwest of the Temple of Seti I, you find the large structure known as the Osireion, an enigmatic underground chamber connected to the Nile, fashioned from enormous blocks of stone. Margaret A. Murray discovered it in 1903. Its date of construction and purpose are still under investigation.
Abydos is about 162 kilometers north of Luxor and can easily be visited on a Day Trip from the city, or you can visit it during your Nile River cruise