Saturday, September 5, 2009

Abydos (Abtu)

Abydos (Abtu)

Location :

Suhag, Egypt
Situated on the West Bank of the Nile, 12 km south-east of Al-Ballyana, it was the chief center for worshipping the god Osiris.

How to get there :

By daily air conditioned trains, scheduled at regular hours.
By private vehicles, taxis and tourist buses.

For information and reservation contact the Upper Egypt Bus Company which organizes excursions to Al-Minya. Tel : +20-2-2609304/9297/8.

Description

On the west bank of the Nile, 90 miles (145 km) north of Luxor, lies the Temple ofAbydos. Abydos is linked to the earliest dynasties recorded, and in 1993, the earliest known tomb was found here, along with some of the oldest hieroglyphics ever discovered. The Temple dates to around 3150 BC, and the records have provided scholars with much of what is known about the earliest periods of recorded history. This area, sacred to Osiris, was a very powerful location to those who believed in the next world. The ancient Egyptians said that at sunset, the area looked like a golden staircase leading to the afterlife, and thus many people wished to be buried here. It was here, too, that Osiris, after being killed by his brother Seth, returned to power. Seth had killed Osiris and scattered the pieces of his body all over Egypt. Osiris' wife and sister, Isis, gathered the pieces one by one, put them back together, and restored life to her husband. It was said thatAbydos was where the final piece, his head, was buried, and so it was here thatOsiris was brought back to life to become the judge of the dead and lord of the netherworld.

No comments:

Post a Comment