Temple of Abydos
The Abydos Temple
Abydos, which is approximately 2.5 hours north of Luxor by automobile, was one of the most significant religious sites in ancient Egypt, and it is still one today. Ancient Egyptians would have hoped to go to Abydos, which for them was firmly linked with the passage into the afterlife, in the same way, that current Muslims aim to conduct a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.
Even though multiple temples were built on this site, the Temple of Seti I is the biggest and most notable of them all. Seti I was the father of the renowned Ramesses II, who was responsible for the completion of the majority of the temple’s construction following his father’s death.
After barely 30 years in power after the turmoil associated with Akhenaten’s heretical leadership, known as the Amarna Period, Seti I was concerned with restoring trust in the pantheon of Pre-Amarna gods that Akhenaten had attempted to destroy.
A small chapel dedicated to each of the major gods, as well as one dedicated to Seti, was built in the temple he built as a result. These chapels include Ptah’s chapel, Re-chapel, Harakhte’s Amun-chapel, Re’s Osiris’s chapel, Isis’s chapel, and Horus’ chapel, as well as a chapel dedicated to Seti himself.
The pylon and the first two courtyards of the temple complex are no longer existent, forcing visitors to enter via a doorway into the hypostyle hall, which is located on the other side of the temple complex. In the temple, many of the wall reliefs have survived in excellent condition, and the reliefs at the rear of the temple, which were finished during Seti’s reign, are regarded to be among the best found in any temple elsewhere in Egypt.
Because Abydos is more difficult to access than many other locations, it does not get a large number of visitors. Occasionally, tour buses from the beach resorts or groups of cruise ship passengers from the Red Sea may arrive, but if you plan your visit carefully, you may be able to enjoy the temple complex entirely to yourself.
Dendera, another spectacular but little-visited monument, is readily included in a day trip from Luxor and may be easily included in a day trip from Abydos as well.
Many Egypt Vacation Packages that include Luxor Excursions also include a guided tour of the sacred city, but not all tours go there. Because of this, you should always check to see if it’s included or not before you book your tour. Abydos is really a very interesting place to visit if you have the time.
