Abydos has been inhabited since 3300 BC, which makes it one of the oldest and most important places in ancient Egypt, as it is home to one of the best temples of Egypt, the Abydos Temple. The holy city is located in Upper Egypt on the west bank of the Nile River. It overlooks a desert valley that was believed to be a path to the land of the dead. It was where the first pharaohs of Egypt were buried and later became the center of the cult of Osiris, the god of the underworld. With its essential inscriptions and many tombs, Abydos may have done more than any other site in Egypt to help us understand the history of the political, linguistic, and architectural development of ancient Egypt.
Where is the Temple of Abydos Temple located:
Located in Abydos, the Temple of Seti I is one of the most important places to learn about ancient Egypt. On the other hand, Abydos is located in Upper Egypt, about 10 kilometers from the Nile River. It was where the first kings of Egypt were buried, and later it became a place where people went to worship the god Osiris. It was also where the rituals of the ancient Egyptian kings who were gods took place.
Description of the Abydos Temple:
The Seti I Temple has a unique L-shaped design and was primarily made of limestone, with some sandstone used in various parts of the building. His son, Ramesses II, finished the temple. His cartouches and plunge style, different from his father’s excellent relief, can be seen in some parts of the temple.
The First Open Court:
The entrance to the temple is in the northeast, through a giant tower now broken and leading to the first open court, also in poor condition. On the central axis of the temple is a ramp with stairs leading to a raised balcony with a pillared hall. Three doors at the back of the hall lead to the second courtyard. Ramesses II painted scenes from the Battle of Kadesh, and the king presented gifts to the gods on the walls of the courtyards.
The roofed part of the temple rests on a raised terrace, which is reached by another steep staircase. The front consists of a colonnaded portico, and seven gates lead to the first pillared hall. Ramesses II closed all but the central gate. The gallery has twelve pairs of bud-covered papyrus columns made of sandstone. The second pillared hall can be accessed through seven more gates. It has 36 columns, similar to those in the first hypostyle hall. Beautiful images of Seti I kneeling before the gods throughout this room exist.
The second hall of columns:
The second hypostyle hall leads to seven chapels dedicated to seven deities: Seti I, Ptah, Ra-Horakhty, Amon-Ra, Osiris, Isis, and Horus in their pious forms. The way these shrines look shows that they were among the first parts of the temple to be decorated. This means that they finished before the death of Seti I. Scenes of the king offering gifts to the gods and receiving symbols of life and power, as well as royal symbols are painted on the walls of these chapels. Priests were performing rituals within the walls of churches that transformed the king into Osiris, the god of death and rebirth. These rituals would have completed these scenes.
In ancient Egyptian religion, Horus was represented on earth by the living king, and when the king died, Osiris became the ruler of the afterlife. The Church of Osiris leads to a cross-shaped area dedicated to the worship of Osiris, with two halls and two groups of chapels. The gods Osiris, his wife Isis, and their son Horus are honored in three small chapels to the right of the first hall. Behind these three chapels is a two-pillared secret chamber that only the high priests could enter because it was where the Mysteries of Osiris were played out.
South extension:
The southern part of the temple contains more chapels, including chapels for the gods Ptah-Soker and Nefertem, the “Hall of the Barkes” (where the barks were kept that carried the statues of the gods during ceremonies), and the “Hall of the Gods.” Butchers’ unfinished (temple slaughterhouse). This section also contains the so-called “Ancestral Gallery,” which contains the well-known “Abydos List of Kings”. People believe that this is where the temple rituals will begin. Seti I was changed, The dead king, through rituals to the god Osiris, with whom all the dead Egyptian kings were associated. Then the priests would walk through the seven churches until they reached the chapel of Osiris.