Seti wearing a blue crown to emphasize his military prowess, burns incense over an offering

Ground Plan of the Main Seti I Temple at Abydos

The Main Temple

By Jimmy Dunn writing as Peter Rome

The Temple of Seti I and the Osireion at Abydos

Писано с 12 по 24 декабря 1927 года.

The temple that the Greeks called the Memnonium in Abydos, actually dedicated to Seti I, Osiris and Isis along with Ptah,Ptah-Sokar, Nefertem, Re-Horakhty, Amun, and Horus, is one of the major archaeological sites in that region. It was begun by Seti I and finished by his son, the great Ramesses II. In fact, this structure built of fine white limestone is actually one of the most impressive religious structures in Egypt.

The present facade of the Temple was once the backdrop to the second of the two courtyards, the first of which, along with its entrance pylon, have long since fallen into ruin.

The temple, in the shape of an L, once had a landing quay, a ramp, a front terrace, two pylons, though the outer one is mostly lost, with two courts and pillared porticoes, followed by two hypostyle halls and seven chapels, with additional chambers to the south making up the short leg of the L. Storage chambers fill the area from the southern wing to the front of the temple.The main body of the temple was symmetrical back to the seven chapels. While the L shaped floor plan of this temple is unusual, analysis seems to show that the southern wing was no afterthought, but the result of a well thought out alternative to the usual axial temple plan.

One approaches the temple through its outer courts, now ruined but with the huge tanks for the absolution of the temple's priest still visible. This was the first temple we know of in Egypt that incorporated these structures. Along the way there are also row upon row of mud brick storage annexes grouped around a stone entrance hall.The access to the temple proper is up a long flight of 42 shallow stairs

Here, the outer pylons and courts, as well as the first hypostyle hall which is relatively shallow and has two rows of twelve columns with lotus bud capitals, were hastily completed and decorated by Ramesses II. In fact, an image of him worshipping his father, along with Osiris and Isis is incorporated into the initial decorations. Most of the decorations completed by Ramesses II are inferior to those done during his father's reign, but some are interesting and noteworthy, including the depiction of him as a young boy roping a bull with his father (elsewhere in the temple). Here, we also find a number of military scenes (second courtyard). Within the first hypostyle hall, it is interesting that Ramesses II placed decorations over those of his father. Within the portico that leads to the hypostyle halls, there was once seven doors that gave way to seven processional paths through the towering clustered columns to seven chapels at the rear of the temple.

However, when Ramesses II added the outer sections of the temple, most of these doorways were filled in. Therefore, the second hypostyle hall with its 36 squat columns that are carefully aligned to give access to the chapels, became their vestibule. The first two of the three rows of columns have lotus bud capitals, while the last row is without capitals, but sits upon a high platform. The carved reliefs in this part of the temple were completed during the reign of Seti I, are are some of the finest to be found in any Egyptian temple. The quality of this artwork extends beyond the careful depiction of major figures within the scenes to even the smallest details of minor items and hieroglyphs. We find scenes depicting Seti before various gods, performing sacrifices and presenting the image of Ma'at.Most of the scenes are very formal, but on the right wall, they are striking. Here, we find a scene of Seti I before Osiris, holding a censer and pouring a libation from a flower-bedecked triple ewer. In the next scene we find Seti before the entrhoned Osiris in the presence of Ma'at and Renpit. Behind stand Isis, Amentet, goddess of the west, and an ennead of other funerary deities. There is also depicted an ornate djed symbol.

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