Way too short time is set off for visiting the temple, but we did know that in advance and we try to make the best of it. Lasse walks off for himself, trying to take as many photos as possible, in as many places as possible. Now, when I sit at home trying to decide which ones to get on these pages or not, I realize of course they are too many - and yet again too few. Only a few of them but not enough by far came out somewhat allright. No photo can ever give justice to this place for various reasons. You gotta bring a tripod here and spend a day. That way you might have time to get some decent shots of your own to bring home. (One always wants one´s own photos no matter how many thousands are already taken by other people!) Without a tripod chances are your pics will be too blurred since you are not allowed to use a flash. Another reason is, that this temple is so special in layout which, in at least my view, gives it a quite mysterious athmosphere. It takes time - should take time - to wander around it and get the feeling of it. You sort of never know what´s going on behind the corner, even if you´re prepared and have read a little bit about it.

At the entrance looking north; the colums made by Ramesses II.
Once there were seven processional entrances beside the main one. These were closed up in the time of Ramesses II. Here you can see a little glimpse of the Osiris Entrance.

Our guide Mohammed walks with me around the temple and we talk about all the things we see. I am very happy to have found such a great guide, he seems to be as genuinely interested by the old stuff as I am myself! Luckily this day visitors aren´t that many and it ´s fairly easy to get around and get a good view of all the halls and chapels. The first Hypostyle Hall seems darker to me than what I´ve seen on pictures. The columns are enormous, sturdy ones:

The First Hypostyle Hall. It seems light though we never used any flash - oh no ;).
I think it´s taken right inside the doorway, where the light conditions were the best ones.

The reliefs in this temple far surpass any reliefs in any other place. This goes for the ones Seti I had made, already in the time of his son, Ramesses II, the quality goes down a little bit. The most beautiful ones are to see in the Second Hypostyle, north wall I´m told, so we don´t linger in the first hall but head straigth there. I could probably add a long, thorough description of how these halls are built etc, but instead i´ll leave some tips of literature at the end of the page. Let´s get to the pics instead!

The reliefs in the SecondHypostyle Hall are the ones most depicted of all the treasures of this place and no wonder. True, they are wonderful even though damaged here and there.

Seti I offering incense and libations to Wesir.

Wandering around, looking at these walls which don´t resemble stone, they appear much softer, smoother, almost like velvet in places. You want to stroke with your hand across them - something which is not to be done! The depicted offering tables, laden with fruit, meat, bread, the boquets of flowers - fresh lotus blossoms, you almost feel their scent.

Every detail is meticulously carved. Every little glyph carefully chiseled out. It seems as being able to rise from the wall and float around. As if the ancient speech would be possible to hear if you only concentrated a little bit, if only the other visitors would move away for a little while... The stone seems soft, you want to touch it and have to mind the urge. You expect to feel velvet under your fingers instead of chilly stone. Seti Meri-en-Ptah Men-Ma'at-Re, what did you do, who was your master of arts, to leave us this creation?

But even though I am rather well prepared, we don´t even have time to get to the Osireion, much less over to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses II, before it´s time to get back to the convoy. We covered the two hypostyle halls, especially the second one with the fantastic reliefs by Seti I, we went to the chapels of Horus, Isis and Osiris, and from the last one directly out into the Osirian Hall with the three small shrine rooms for Osiris, Isis and Horus. After that, we had to press on to take a look at the King List and the Hall of Barks, and that was it!

It only proves that I have to go back again.

Left: Seti I with incense in front of an offering table.

Into the chapels next. There are seven vaulted chapels for the deified Seti I and for each of the main national deities: Amun-Re, Re-Herakhety, Ptah and Osiris with Isis and Horus. They all attach from the Second Hypostyle Hall and originally had doors into the inner parts of the temple. In the time of Ramesses II, all of them were closed except for the chapel of Osiris, which still opens up into the Osiris Hall.

The Chapel of Isis. Note the closed door.

Outside these chapels are niches, one by each chapel, with a depiction of the god in question with the King giving offerings. They are not very big and you wonder about their purpose. First you think that maybe they were used to place offerings, but why, when there was a whole chapel only a yard from there? These little niches were placed on the walls between the chapels, which is almost on the doorjambs.

One of the niches, this one by the Osiris chapel.

The Osiris chapel with the opening into the Osiris Hall.


Standard of Abydos in the center. To the left: smaller standards. Osiris Chapel, southern wall.


The Neshmet Bark, Osiris chapel, northern wall.

Abydos was scene of the yearly Mysteries of Osiris, plays in which the death and resurrection of Osiris was reenacted on a grand scale. It was every Egyptian´s desire to make a pilgrimage to Abydos at least once in his life and be a part of these celebrations. The decorations on the walls illustrate the proceedings.

It´s time for a new page. Next we will visit the Osiris Hall and the three sanctuaries attached to it.