Abydos

Abydos combines impressive temple buildings with insights into the history of an ancient religious site. The archaeological area covers around 8 square kilometres. This provides a clear thematic focus for planning your trip: you can explore the Temple of Seti I, a famous inscription, and the necropolis of ancient Abydos. Which of these aspects interests you most may help determine whether Abydos is right for your holiday and whether you would like to look for a holiday rental here.

Temple of Seti I and the Abydos King List

The Temple of Seti I was built by Seti I and his son Ramesses II. Its L-shaped layout contains seven chapels. This distinctive design makes the temple a particular point of interest for travellers interested in ancient buildings: you can appreciate it not only by its name, but also by its unusual floor plan and the number of chapels.

An inscription in the temple is known as the Abydos King List and names 76 pharaohs. In this building, architecture and a written list of rulers can therefore be seen side by side. Those interested in the history of individual rulers will find a different perspective here than when exploring the chapels and the temple’s design. Both topics are part of the Temple of Seti I, but offer different points of focus for a history-themed stay.

Necropolis, the cult of Osiris, and ancient buildings

The North Cemetery is also part of Abydos’s history. It covers 50 hectares of the ancient site’s primary necropolis. From the Middle Kingdom onward, the North Cemetery was known as the “Terrace of the Great God”; it was a sacred cemetery associated with the cult of Osiris. This name and religious connection give the site a different historical focus from the temple inscription. If you would like to focus your trip primarily on religious history and the necropolis, this connection is another reason to consider Abydos more closely.

Another structure is Shunet el-Zebib, also called the Khasekhemwy Enclosure. It is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the world. The Temple of Seti I and Shunet el-Zebib thus represent different aspects of Abydos’s architectural heritage: the temple is characterised by its L-shape and seven chapels, while Shunet el-Zebib is known as one of the oldest surviving buildings. For travellers interested in history, these structures provide a broad picture of the area’s built heritage, even though the monuments do not all have the same purpose or design.

Which focus suits your trip?

In antiquity, the Temple of Osiris was the starting point for an annual festival procession. During the procession, the image of the god left the temple, and episodes from his myth were reenacted in the landscape of Abydos. This procession belongs to the ancient past; it describes a historical context and does not indicate a present-day event date. Together with the sacred cemetery and the name “Terrace of the Great God,” it shows how closely Osiris was connected with Abydos’s religious history.

If you would like to make Abydos the focus of your stay, you can search for a holiday rental in Abydos.

More destinations: Al Khārijah, Al Qaşr, Wahat Al Farafirah, Abu Simbel, Dakhla Oasis.

Return to the main travel overview: Al-Wadi Al-Dschadid.