Abydos Vilage

Abydos Village

Abydos appears to be a village in the modern Egyptian town of Al-Balyana, south of the Sohag governorate. It was the capital of the eighth Nome during Ancient Egypt. The Abydos Village lies 11 kilometres west of the Nile River at a 26° 10′ N latitude.

History

When we try to discover the history of Abydos village, we will find some interesting facts. It was imperative to the Ancient Egyptian people and rulers. Interestingly, ancient Egyptian priests weaved many legends around this sacred site. These legends explain why it became an essential religious spot during Ancient Egypt! At the same time, the history of this place is as long as the civilisation in Egypt.

Indeed, this place’s importance comes from the early pharaoh, who used it as the royal cemetery. There is some evidence that the Predynastic times witnessed a community in Abydos. And that the pharaohs of the first dynasty built their tombs in it. These tombs include the ones for Narmer and his successor, Aha. Narmer is the founder of the first dynasty. Besides, some pharaohs of the second dynasty chose Abydos as their burial. Some pharaohs built their tombs in Abydos, for it was their hometown, which added to its importance as a burial.

During Ancient Egyptian times, the city was the cult centre of the God Osiris. It is notable for its temples, as pharaohs built nine or ten temples there. The three remaining temples are the Temple of Seti I, Great Osiris, and Ramses II. The rest of the temples are still buried under the modern village, while the others cannot be retrieved.

Recently, we have noticed that the place’s importance comes from its number of monuments. Therefore, Tourists visit this fantastic place to see its temples. Also, they listen to the overwhelming legends surrounding its sacristy.

Features of the Abydos Complex

The Abydos Temple complex comprises many features. These features include the following:

  • Temple of Seti I.
  • Temple of Ramses II.
  • Great Osiris Temple.
  • Also, The Osireion.

The place’s primary scientific importance is a long list of the pharaohs of the principal dynasties. Ancient Egyptian artists curved this list on one of the walls in the temple of Seti I. Recently, we called it the “Abydos King List” or “the Table of Abydos,” and William John Bankes rediscovered it.

Discover

1 thought on “Abydos Village

  1. This is a wonderful religious site in Egyptian Architecture. It carries with it many stories and legends and hence it has become a tourist hotspot. The early Pharaohs used this place as a burial ground. Also in Ancient Egypt, this was the cult center of the God Orisis. It is noteworthy because of its 9 temples but now only 3 remain. One of the major attractions of this site is that the Ancient Egyptians carved this long list of Pharaohs on the wall of the temple of Seti. This was rediscovered by William John Bakes. All these together make this place a must-see for tourists.

Leave a Reply