Abydos
A city north of DENDEREH, capital of the eighth NOME,
or district, called the Thinite Nome, Abydos was considered
the greatest of all cemeteries and home to the god OSIRIS.
The necropolis area of the city was in use from the earliest
times and benefited from royal patronage throughout its
history. Of the royal monuments erected in Abydos, the
temple of SETI I (r. 1306-1290 B.C.E.) is the largest,
built
Of fine white limestone and containing splendid reliefs,
the first two courts of the temple, as well as the portico,
were probably completed by RAMESSES II (r. 1290-1224B.C.E.)
after Seti I's death. One scene in the temple depicts
Ramses II adoring the gods ISIS and Osiris as well as
Seti I deified. Ramses II is also credited with the decoration
in the first HYPOSTYLE HALL of the temple, which has seven
doors leading to chapels beyond a second hypostyle hall.
The second hypostyle hall serves as a vestibule for the
seven chapels incorporated into its west wall. False vaults
cover the chapels, and all have
Reliefs. The chapels honored six gods and the deified
Seti I. A king list was discovered in a gallery in the
shrine, showing Seti I and Ramesses II as princes offering
honors to their royal predecessors. Beside the Gallery
of Lists there are halls for the preservation of the BARKS
OF THE GODS, butchers' quarters, and magazines. Immediately
behind the temple is an area called the OSIREION, actually
a CENOTAPH, or false tomb, built by Seti I but probably
completed by MERENPTAH, his grand Son. A feature in this
Shrine is an island, formed by canals of water that were
kept filled at all times, upon which the sarcophagus and
canopy chests were maintained. |
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