One of the most important cities in Upper Egypt is Luxor for its many attractions. In Luxor, you can find most of the monuments because Luxor “Ancient Thebes” was the capital for many years and that gave great importance to the cities of Upper Egypt.
The pharaonic temples reflect the importance of religion and its beliefs. The temples are not only in Luxor but also you can find other temples in other cities of Upper Egypt. One of the outstanding temples is the Temple of Abydos. This Temple is in Sohag, 135 km north of Luxor and 420 km south of Cairo.
The History of the Temple of Abydos
In the period of Naqada I, Abidos was considered a religious and pilgrimage center because it was believed that the head of the god Osiris was buried here. From the Middle Empire, some constructions dedicated to the god Osiris were found.
Seti I was king of the XIX dynasty in the New Empire, he opened mines, rebuilt the damaged temples, and completed the construction of the hypostyle room in the Karnak Temple. Seti I wanted to build his temple next to the “Stairway of the Great God”.
The Temple of Abydos was built in 1279 by King Seti I (father of Ramses II). The construction of his Temple of Abydos was completed by his son Ramses II who added two courtyards and a 62 m pylon.
The Construction of the Temple of Abydos
The Temple is in the form of the letter “L”. The Temple was built with white limestone. There are several patios, chambers, and a terrace. There are also seven chapels, dedicated to King Seti I and the gods Amon, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Ptah, and Ra.
The access to the Temple is a short ramp that leads to 12 pillars. Three doors are leading to three of the seven chapels; the main door leads to Amon’s chapel and the two others lead to Osiris and Horus. The rooms are decorated with various scenes such as the foundation of the Temple, the birth of the King, and Ramses II purified by Tut.
About the Temple of Abydos
What is very important in the Temple is the “Royal List of Abydos”. There is a wall of a corridor in the Temple. It is a list of 76 of the Pharaonic kings, predecessors of King Seri I, and omits the kings before Seti I. The Temple is accompanied by another temple of Osiris.
The Temple of Osiris
This Temple is in Abidos in the “Kom El-Sultan” area. The Temple was dedicated to the god “Jenti-Amentiu” and later in the XII dynasty, it was dedicated to the god Osiris. Until the Greco-Roman era, it was considered a funerary deity.
There are many testimonies of the Kings of the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. There are also remains from the 1st Dynasty such as a fragment of a vase from the Pharaoh “Aha” (second Pharaoh of the 1st Dynasty) and figurines of animals and men in stone.
The chapel of Osiris leads to the worship of the god. There are two rooms in two series of two chapels dedicated to Osiris, Isis, and Horus.
The Pharaonic Land with Jakada Tours Egypt
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