- Abydos was a city in Ancient Egypt with a Temple complex, famous for being the Cult Centre of Osiris and a Site of Pilgrimage by Ancient Egyptians.
- It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt and holds the Temple of Set I. It is located northwest of Luxor at a point 7 miles (11km) west of the Nile.
History
- The Tomb of Djer
- Djer was the third Pharaoh of the First Dynasty (c.3,000 BCE). This was perceived as the Tomb of Osiris.
- Annual Re-enactment of the Myth of Osiris:
- At the Osiris Temple in Abydos an annual re-enactment of the Myth of Osiris took place with hundreds of Priests and Priestesses playing the roles of all the Gods.
- It took place during the fourth month, the month of Chioak, after the Annual Rise of the Nile, which was the beginning of the Agricultural season when the farmers started planting.
- The Procession then travelled from the Temple of Osiris to the Tomb of Djer.
- ‘Raising of the Djed’:
- During the Pharaoh’s Jubilee year, in the month of Chiok, a ceremony called ‘Raising the Djed’ occurred, where a wooden Djed Pillar would be hauled upright by ropes.
- Raising the Djed Pillar symbolised the rebirth of Osiris.
Monuments
- Temple of Seti I (c.1,300 BCE)
- also known as the Great Temple of Abydos
- an Osireion is located at the rear of the Temple.
- Abydos King List
- The Gallery of the Lists in the Temple of Seti I holds Egyptian Hieroglyphs listing the names of 76 Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.
- Abydos Graffiti
- Phoenician and Aramaic graffiti was written on the walls of the Temple of Seti I.
- Helicopter Hieroglyphs
- One set of Hieroglyphs is thought to contain images of a helicopter, a zeppelin or plane and a submarine.
Abydos
