Egypt’s Temple of Abydos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the same way that Muslims strive to visit Mecca monce in their lifetime and Hindus strive to die at Benares, the Ancient Egyptians had a deep desire to make a pilgrimage to ABYDOS (pronounced “Abi-dos”), the cult center of the god Osiris, which is located approximately 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) west of the Nile in Upper Egypt.

Abydos is located around 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Luxor.

It was the most important burial cemetery in Egypt for about 2,000 years since it signified the gateway to the underworld and was the location where Osiris’s head was buried.

In the ancient Egyptian language, the city was known as Abdju, which translates as “the hill of the symbol or reliquary,” a reference to a reliquary in which the holy head of Osiris was stored.

The Ancient Egyptians desired to undertake a trip to ABYDOS (pronounced “Abi-dos”), the worship center of the deity Osiris, in the same way, that Muslims strive to visit Mecca once in their lives and Hindus aim to die in Benares.

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Those who were unable to make it wanted to do so posthumously; the family took remains to Abydos for burial or decorated distant graves with scenes from the voyage ( represented by a boat under sail, traveling upriver). In ancient Egypt, it was said that the dead “traveled west,” since an entry to the underworld was thought to be located among the desert hills beyond Abydos.

The incorporation of additional deities into the Osirian fold allowed Abydos to gain an almost monopoly on death cults, which continued until Ptolemaic times.

Since the 1830s, the Temple of Seti I, with its exquisite carvings, has been a popular tourist destination, and many consider it to be the best in Egypt.

The Temple of Seti, erected in the 14th century BC and decorated with superb carvings, is one of Egypt’s most beautiful structures. However, the façade was completed with less care by Seti’s son, Ramses II, who also built a smaller temple nearby. The excellent quality of its bas-reliefs differentiates Abydos’ Temple of Seti I from other temples in the region (daily 8 am -5 pm).

Reliefs from the New Kingdom that harken back to Old Kingdom traditions as part of an artistic rebirth that matched Seti’s political attempts to solidify the XIX Dynasty and reclaim lands lost during Akhenaten are among the best works of the period.

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