If you pass through the outer chapel of Osiris you will come to the Osiris Hall. This is a rectangular room with five pairs of sturdy pillars. The walls are covered with exquisite and unusual reliefs, of which one wall is devoted to the "Raising of the Djed-pillar". My own, somewhat blurry photo is below. I know there are better depictions but even so. Next time we will definitively bring a pod. It costs ca 25 Egyptian pounds extra, not a lot of money really.

In the northern wall of the Hall of Osiris are three small chapels - again for Osiris, Isis and Horus. These are fairly well preserved and in them are some of the most beautiful reliefs of the temple, in almost full original color.

Looking into the inner Horus chapel.


The inner Isis chapel.
She wears the double plumes on top of the Vulture Crown,
indicationg she is the Mistress of Heaven.

The depictions of Isis in her inner chapel shows her wearing all the various headdresses you can think of. In the image above, she is wearing the double plumed vulture crown, as such she is shown as the Mother of the King and the First Lady of the Two Lands. A connection to Amun can be made through these plumes too. In next image:

...she is wearing the horned solar disc and shakes the sistrum. Here she merges with Hathor. Before her stands the young Prince Ramesses.

Detail of the beautiful face of Isis. Look at that ear - it´s stone, not real!

...Seti I brings a plate of offerings for the goddess.

Detail of the platter of offerings.
There are two fowl, fruit and several cakes of bread

The reliefs in these small chapels take your breath away. They are made alternatingly in raised and in sunk relief. The colors are still very clear and you get a very good impression of what it all must have looked like once upon a time. If you stretch that thought a bit and imagine all the temples and monument which once existed in this country, not as ruins but as wellkept and tended buildings, complete with these carvings and depictions and the bright colors... well, admit it - what of today can surpass it ?

Every detail is chiseled out with the greatest care and precision but even more - the artisan, or artisans, must have had a very speical knowledge and skill in how to work with stone. For everywhere you look, you don´t see stone, you see gold, you see linen, you see and smell flowers, you almost want to taste of the food offerings, you almost hear the libations of wine being poured and your nostrils seem to inhale the sweet smell of incense.

The hieroglyphs stand out from the wall as if they were modelled in clay and applied to the walls. The impression is that you can take them off, handle them like toys, and put them back. They are three-dimensional and they truly speak. You just have a little difficulty understanding the meaining of their sound!

In one place, the long, gauzy tunic which Pharaoh is dressed in, appears fully see-through.

King Seti I offers a necklace of godl to Horus.
Although damaged in parts, the thin material of his outer garb differs from his loincloth and is clearly visible.

Two more details, one of them is the Menat necklace, here carried by Isis. Normally it´s in the hands of Hathor. It was used during rituals as a musical instrument - when it is rattled, the sound helps to appease the deities. The other pic is the Throne name of Seti I; MenMaatRe, within not a cartouche but something which resembles very much the glyph for 'enclosure' or 'house' or 'temple'. I am not sure which one is meant here and I couldn´t find it in my Gardiner. Perhaps it says that this is the House/Temple of MenMaatRe?

The next and last page of photos from Abydos is here and it includes the Hall of Ptah-Sokar-Nefertem, the Hall of Kings and the Hall of Barks.