Temple of Seti I ( Abydos Temple )

Temple of Seti I ( Abydos Temple )

The temple of Seti I is located in Abydos, which is located north of the modern city of Luxor . Abydos occupied an important role in the past especially in the Old Kingdom, and a lot of kings used to build their burials and mortuary temples there, but later on its importance became decreased and Thebes (modern Luxor) became more important.

 

Temple of Seti I was called the Memnonium by the Greeks, and it was dedicated to the King Seti I along with different gods and Goddesses, such as; Osiris, Isis ,Ptah , Ptah-Sokar, Nefertem, Re-Horakhty, Amun, and Horus .


it built as a mortuary temple, but the King Seti I has never been buried there and he was buried in the Valley of the Kings, despite that temple was begun by the King Seti I but it was completed by his son, Ramasses II, the original shape of the temple was in a converted (L) shape, and as many of the temples of the New kingdom, the temple was reused later on, firstly in the Roman period and later on in the Coptic period,  and they converted parts of it into a church and dwellings.

 

The temple has lost parts of its elements across the history, the main of those lost  elements is the first Pylon of the temple which is almost now in ruins, but the original shape is still could be figured out, it was meant to be the main gate to the temple and it was surrounded by two Sphinxes which are still visible till today. Unfortunately the second Pylon of the temple is almost destroyed as well mostly because they were built out of mud brick and because of the natural flooding during inundation.

 

The current façade of the temple contains a portico with ten columns. On the rear walls of this court, are shown scenes for the King Seti I and Ramasses II offering to the deities also there is another important scence for Seti I, Ahmosi-Nefertari and the Theban Triad.

 

After this first court you will be able to find the Hypostyle hall which has six papyrus columns, the court is decorated with paints about the reign of King Seti I, on both sides of the hypostyle hall there are six chambers for the Theban Triad.

 

Then you will find the most important part of each temple, which is the sanctuary. It is consisting  of a triple shrine of the Theban Triad (Amun, Mut and Khons) where the statues of the gods used to be put during the festivals. After that you’ll have the chance to see the holly of the hollies which is carved with scenes of the king celebrating different rituals of the temple.  

             

This temple has another important feature has been on one of its walls, which is Kings list, or it is known as Abydos King List, it is including Kings name starting from King Menes or Narmer in the first dynasty till His name (Seti I ) inscribed in Cartouches, it includes 76 names.


Despite the fact that the temple did not house the King’s Mummy, and also the importance of the site decreased after the reign of King Seti I, but you will figure out after visiting the temple that it is still a unique masterpiece and attraction in Egypt. 

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